Relieves Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Boosts Mood & Improves Physical & Mental States
According to the American Psychological Association, 43 percent of all adults suffer from adverse health effects from stress. And, 75-90 percent of all physician office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints. Stress is linked to six leading causes of death – heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide.
Massage has been shown to decrease stress, improve sleep and your workout routine, heighten awareness and more.
“Weekly massages seem to have a cumulative positive effect that is sustained over time,” says Mark Rapaport, M.D., a professor and chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University in Atlanta. “Since that’s probably not possible for most, data suggests you can reap benefits form even a single massage.
The most common types of massage include:
Swedish massage
this is a gentle form using long strokes, kneading, deep circular movements, vibration and tapping to help relax and energize you. Also good for increasing circulation.
Deep massage
Deep massage uses slower, more forceful strokes to target the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue, from neuromuscular therapy to stretching, commonly used to help with muscle damage from injuries.
Sports massage
Sports massage is similar to Swedish massage, but its geared toward people involved in sport activities to help prevent or treat injuries.
Trigger point massage
Trigger point massage focuses on areas of tight muscle fibers that can form in your muscles after injuries or overuse
Craniosacral
Craniosacral is a gentle touch that helps with stress, anxiety, headaches and many other issues. Craniosacral also improves the functioning of the nervous system and is performed over the client clothes.
Alleviate Aches and Pains, Natural Pain Reliever
Massage may decrease acute inflammation due to overuse of muscles, and maybe very helpful in decreasing stiffness, pain and inflammation,” says Rapaport. So if you’re suffering from numerous or chronic injuries from sports, missing out on the quality of life, massage could be your prescription to better health. “Massage reduces physical suffering by decreasing cortisol and increasing serotonin, which is the body’s natural painkiller,” says Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
If you suffer from headaches, focus your session on your neck and shoulders for relief from the tension, pounding-aching and throbbing symptoms. “A massage can help reduce headaches by stimulating pressure receptors at the nape of the neck, which helps increase vagal activity,” says Field. “It is thought that when the vagus nerve is active, it calms cluster headaches and migraines.”
Increasing Range of Motion
Looking to improve your flexibility in yoga and at work and play? “A massage may help you loosen up your muscles and increase circulation, pump oxygen into joints,” says Ariel Raovfogel, a licensed massage therapist at NY Haven Spa in New York City. “These are key in keeping your body limber.” If inflammation is limiting your mobility, treat yourself to a good squeeze to reduce the presence of cytokines, proteins that lead to inflammation.
Massage Boosts Immune System and Brain Power
Kneading could boost your body’s immune system. “one of the benefits of massage is that it leads to an increase in white blood cells,” says Rapaport. It’s not the cold-busting kinds of cells, but NK cells in particular. These are commonly called “killer cells” because they serve as your body’s primary defense against more serious infections.
“One study showed that following a 15-minute chair massage, brain waves changed in the direction of heightened alertness,” says Field. “In fact, study participants were able to perform math computations twice as fast and with twice the accuracy.”
Massage Helps with Insomnia
If you toss and turn and have trouble getting a good night’s rest, according to Raovfogel says massage can help. A lack of serotonin has been linked to sleepless nights and massage helps spike levels of sleep-inducing natural chemicals.
Melt Away Stress & Anxiety
The art and science of aromatherapy, calming oils applied therapeutically to the skin, low lights and relaxing music, massage works its magic as a relaxer, offering a plethora of physical and psychological benefits. “The series of strokes decreases your sympathetic tone, which is a part of the nervous system that prepares your body to react to situations of stress or emergency, “ says Rapaport. “And the subsequent decrease in cortisol and increase in serotonin is a formula for some seriously calm vibes. Some research says that massage is good for your mental game and may even help with depression.
In a study of the effect of massage therapy on patients receiving Bone Marrow Transplants, it was concluded that those who received massage therapy had a better quality of life. Patients rested more easily, had less depression and anxiety and were more able to communicate with loved ones during this crucial treatment. Massage reduces nausea in chemotherapy patients. Massage can help with: postoperative pain, low-back pain, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, improve balance in older adults, decrease rheumatoid arthritis pain, temper effects of dementia, lower blood pressure and more.
Find your relief, relaxation and rejuvenation at Moore Road MediSpa with their licensed massage therapist. Get on the road to better health and happiness. Schedule your appointment today!
