Stress causes all kinds of problems for many people. Perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. Massage is an effective tool for managing this stress, which translates into:
- Decreased anxiety
- Enhanced sleep quality
- Greater energy
- Improved concentration
- Increased circulation
- Reduced fatigue
- Reduced pain
Massage can also help specifically address a number of health issues. Bodywork can:
- Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
- Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.
- Ease medication dependence.
- Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body's natural defense system.
- Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
- Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.
- Improve the condition of the body's largest organ—the skin.
- Increase joint flexibility.
- Lessen depression and anxiety.
- Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.
- Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.
- Reduce postsurgery adhesions and swelling.
- Reduce spasms and cramping.
- Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.
- Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body's natural painkiller.
- Relieve migraine pain.
For a detailed description of the benefits of massage as well as links to scholarly articles and research studies, please see:
Massage Therapy in Integrative Care and Pain Management, American Massage Therapy Association, 2018
https://www.amtamassage.org/globalassets/documents/publications-and-research/mt_in_integrative_care_and_pain_management.pdf
*A note on research...
I have spent a lot of time in higher education. I hold a bachelors degree, a masters degree and a law degree. I deeply value academic rigor and scholarship. I like to stay informed on the science and the research of massage for my own edification and so I can better serve my clients. However, I also recognize that science and empirical research can only go so far. Massage of some form or another has been practiced for generations across many different cultures. And there is a world of wisdom and knowledge that existed prior to and outside of our current westernized scientific model of evaluating best practices.
While I value evidence based research, I don’t require it to validate my experience and you don’t need it to validate yours. Massage is a personal experience. It’s nice when objective evidence backs up what we feel or when there’s research that can academically validate our experience. But the first and most important measure of whether something works is your own personal experience.