Massages are often thought of as luxury items with people booking themselves for a massage after an accomplishment, or when they finally got that day off or that extra cash in the bank. Mostly, massages are seen as a good way to relax and blow off steam.
However, there are some less superficial benefits of getting a massage and that too, regularly. This blog post will help you identify the benefits and possibly urge you to book your next much-needed spa day by the end.
Massage is the practice of manipulating the body’s soft tissue in order to relax the muscles. The pressure applied in massages is applied with hands, arms, elbows, and other tools as well such as hot stones.
The purpose of massages is to alleviate any body pain, especially in the back, and also to remove stress in the person. It can, however, have multiple other benefits, which we will explore later.
Depending on what the client wants and the locality of the massage parlor, there are multiple types of massage that one can get: hot stone massage, deep tissue massage, Swedish massage, and many more.
The masseuse will lay the patient down on the massage table or massage mat on the floor and use their limbs or tools depending on the type of massage. They then begin to apply pressure to certain parts of the soft tissue in the body in order to alleviate the stress and loosen the muscles a little.
The basic benefit that everyone knows about is how massages are great for removing any back pain and pain in the body. They are also a good means of alleviating stress as the brain tends to release chemicals that help with de-stressing the body.
Massages decrease cortisol and insulin levels in the body and increase endorphins. They also decrease the number of negative health responses related to chronic stress.
The decreasing stress levels are also good for the heart as they reduce the heart rate and lead to better digestion as well as improved breathing levels. Stress reduction also leads to improved brain activity.
Massages are also good for increasing blood circulation in the body. As the soft tissue gets massaged, the blood flow in the body improves, which in turn improves the elasticity of the tissues and the number of nutrients in the body.
As the blood is how the body receives important nutrients, improving blood circulation is also a good means of lowering blood pressure and making the body less prone to high blood pressure and its associated issues.
Other benefits of a regular massage include the fact that they improve your posture and make you feel more confident. They also reduce muscle strain and any unnecessary pressure on the muscles, making it easier to walk and move if you have a pulled muscle. Moreover, massages are also a good means of improving immunity.
The benefits of massages are very evident and you can see the benefits on your own body when you book a massage. Sometimes though, a massage is not enough and is not necessarily a good alternative to a doctor’s appointment for when you have problems related to back pain or stress. If the pain does not reduce, please book an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible.
Sana Syed MD
Sirpa Talvikki Autio MD
