Surprisingly, it wasn’t that long ago that we became aware of how stress could effect our health. We all have our favourite places to carry stress such as, the jaw, neck, shoulders and gut. If ignored, these areas, known as “stress containers”, can contribute to more serious health issues. Finding ways to release and manage these holding patterns, allows us to live a happier, calmer and healthier life.
A scientific report, published September 2020 stated that “Our health and disease are strongly linked to our psychophysiological state.” The study, “investigated whether standardized massages were capable of reliably inducing physiological and psychological states of relaxation”. The results showed that both (neck & shoulder) massage protocols increased psychophysiological relaxation, and may serve as useful tools in future research.”
As Massage Therapy has gained in popularity more studies have been done to determine the benefits. Some have looked at whether it helps with increased quality of life for those with terminal illness. Others have studied it’s effectiveness for those with functional illnesses (heart, gastrointestinal), where stress has been found to exacerbate symptoms.
So far, anecdotal evidence has shown that massage is beneficial in both these circumstances.
Here are some of the benefits that have physicians recommending massage and a good reason to give it a try.
Benefits of Massage Therapy:
1. Maximizes the supply of nutrients and oxygen through increased blood flow assisting muscles to repair and build.
2. Improves range of motion and flexibility of muscles by reducing scar tissue. This also helps to guard against injury.
3. Acts as a great cleanser by activating the circulation which assists in the elimination of waste products. This also helps to shorten the recovery time between workouts.
4. Lowers blood pressure, has a relaxing effect on muscles and a calming effect on the nervous system.
5. Massage therapy treatments increase our awareness of our bodies. We become cognizant of tension and pain while having a massage that may not be apparent in daily activities. Allowing less pain to collect in our bodies keeps us healthier and improves our quality of life as we age.