Common Health Problems: What can Massage do for YOU?
Massages are often sold as purely indulgent treats you get when you visit a spa or go on vacation, but there’s so much more to massage than just a feel-good treat. There are plenty of symptoms caused by many health problems that can be reduced and even eliminated with regular massage. Regular massage can do a lot more for your body than just help you unwind. Here are some 8 health conditions that massage can genuinely help with. A few will seem obvious. Others might be a new revelation.
Stress
Okay, this one's not a surprise. But it goes deeper than just "feeling relaxed." Regular massage actively lowers your blood pressure, improves your sleep, and reduces cortisol — the hormone your body pumps out when you're stressed. Over time, it's even been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Not bad for an hour on a table.
Lower Back Pain
If you spend most of your day sitting at a desk, your lower back is probably not thrilled about it. Poor posture and long hours in a chair are two of the biggest culprits behind back pain — and massage can target exactly that. It's why more and more employers are actually bringing massage therapists into the workplace.
Sports Injuries
Whether you've overdone it at the gym or you're nursing a longer-term injury, massage helps muscles and tendons heal faster. It also helps manage ongoing pain. Making a habit of looking after your muscles is helpful in avoiding getting hurt again in the first place.
Joint Stiffness
For anyone dealing with arthritis or stiff, achy joints, massage can be a welcome relief. A 2013 study found that people with rheumatoid arthritis felt noticeably better after just four weekly massages. Better range of motion, less pain in the hips, knees, and shoulders — it adds up.
Poor Circulation
Bad circulation causes all sorts of problems in the body. Massage gets your blood moving, helps deliver nutrients to your tissues and organs, and flushes out the lactic acid that makes your muscles sore. It also supports your lymphatic system, which is essentially your body's waste removal crew.
Migraines
We still don’t fully understand what causes migraines, and there's no cure — but massage has been shown to reduce how often they happen and how bad they feel when they do. If your migraines tend to be stress-related, you may find massage especially helpful.
Skin Health
Your massage therapist sees a lot of skin. That means they're sometimes the first to notice an unusual spot or change you might have missed. Beyond that, the improved circulation from massage. Also, the nourishing oils used during treatment can leave your skin not only looking good, but feeling better too.
Allergies
This one surprises most people. Massage stimulates lymph flow, which gives your immune system a boost and can take the edge off allergic reactions. Some therapists can even tell you're an allergy sufferer just from the feel of your lymph nodes — they tend to feel tender or swollen.
Of course, you don't need a health reason to book a massage. But if any of these sound familiar, know that you're doing your body a genuine service every time you go. So, stop looking at massage as a treat. “It’s not treating yourself. It’s treating yourself well.”
