A massage is something you might think of as a special occasion when you get to relax and unwind for an hour. But the benefits of massage therapy go much deeper than just body and mind relaxation. Massage therapy is a holistic option for many people living with chronic health conditions, such as pain, or simple everyday stress. It promotes wellness in your body, improves blood flow, and removes harmful toxins.
What is massage therapy?
Massage therapy is a type of treatment a licensed massage therapist performs to promote relaxation and wellness in the body. The therapist utilizes various techniques to manipulate tissues and muscles during a massage. Massage therapy aims to provide the patient with a quiet environment where they can relax, relieve stress, and promote physical and mental wellness.
Different types of massage therapy include prenatal, sports, deep tissue, Swedish, trigger point and lymphatic drainage. Each type of massage targets specific issues within the body. For example, a prenatal massage is specifically for women who are pregnant to provide relief while protecting the unborn baby. On the other hand, a sports massage focuses on overused muscles and tissues that are under stress from sports or physical activities. Lymphatic drainage uses a specialized technique to improve flow through the lymphatic system thus helping lower inflammation and built up toxins.
Seven significant benefits of a massage
- Lower Stress. One of the primary reasons for a massage is to manage day-to-day stressors. Whether you have a big promotion coming up or you’re stressed from everyday life, a massage gives you the atmosphere to disconnect and relax while providing your body with the necessary TLC.
- Reduce Anxiety. Anxiety is a common concern; some people have chronic anxiety that never goes away, while others are anxious due to events in life. A massage promotes mental wellness, which helps combat issues like anxiety and depression. Getting a massage is an excellent way to take care of your mental health and reduce everyday stress.
- Help low back pain. Low back pain affects people of all ages and can get out of control quickly without treatment. But you don’t have to take medication or undergo surgery — massage therapy is a good tool to combat chronic back pain and relieve muscle tension.
- Improve sleep. Massage therapy helps control cortisol, a stress hormone affecting many aspects of your health, including sleep. Massage therapy also increases dopamine and serotonin, which stabilize your mood and help you get a good night’s rest.
- Relieve muscle tension. Muscle tension happens from stress, overuse, or poor posture and may lead to chronic pain. The massage therapist’s techniques relax the muscles, relieving tension and providing pain relief.
- Improves immune function. Getting regular massages improves the way your immune system works. Massage therapy increases the white blood cells in the body, which are vital for fighting off bacteria and viruses.
- Increases range of motion in joints. As you age, joint stiffness increases and range of motion decreases due to conditions like arthritis – but you don’t have to live with it. Massage therapy decreases muscle tightness and inflammation to improve the range of motion in your joints.
The American Massage Therapy Association has an even bigger list of benefits from massage therapy, 25 Reasons to Get a Massage! They include links to published literature if so inclined to take a deeper dive into the science of massage therapy.
Massage Therapy at the IMC
Lora Harrington, LMT, has been providing massage therapy since 2009. We are delighted to have her as our very own in-house massage therapist. Call our office at 970-245-6911 to inquire about pricing or schedule an appointment.
Regular massage is good preventive medicine and a great investment in your health!
Authors
Scott Rollins, MD, is Board Certified with the American Board of Family Practice and the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. He specializes in bioidentical hormone replacement for men and women, thyroid and adrenal disorders, fibromyalgia and other complex medical conditions. He is founder and medical director of the Integrative Medicine Center of Western Colorado (www.imcwc.com) and Bellezza Laser Aesthetics (www.bellezzalaser.com). Call (970) 245-6911 for an appointment or more information.
Lora Harrington, LMT, has been certified in massage therapy since 2009 and worked in both spa and private clinic settings. She enjoys being part of an integrative health center where massage therapy is considered an important healing modality.
