Ever since ancient times, massage therapy has been used by therapists to provide pain relief to their patients. Even today, people use different types of massage therapies to relax their bodies. Many physical therapists recommend deep tissue massage in lieu of chronic back pain as it’s quite effective.
Apart from being effective in providing pain relief, there are several other health benefits of massage therapy. Today, we’re going to tell you about them. Read on to know more!
Health Benefits of Massage Therapy
As per the National Health Interview Survey, more than 18 million American adults and 700,000 children received massage therapy last year. People generally get a massage to get pain relief, reduce stress, relax, facilitate rehabilitation after a sports injury, treat depression and anxiety, and improve overall health.
Some other benefits of massage therapy are:
Provides Relief for All Sitting That You Do
These days, the majority of people do jobs that require them to sit in front of screens most of the time. Because of this hectic work routine, almost everyone doing such jobs suffers from postural stress.
Most of the time, this stress manifests in the shoulder and neck region. However, this is an alarming situation as the advanced form of postural stress results in the weakness of the lower back and gluteus.
Massage therapy, in this scenario, can do wonders for anyone who’s suffering from postural stress. Therefore, if you do a desk job, getting a massage on a regular basis is essential to keep you in top working condition.
Alleviates Muscular Pain
If you have sore muscles, massage therapy can help you in getting rid of them within no time. According to a recent study, getting a massage is very effective in alleviating muscular pain. It helps in increasing and improving your blood circulation and as a result, the sore muscles get enough oxygen which eases their aching. This is why many doctors and physical therapists recommend massage in case of chronic back pain.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Studies have found that getting a massage can lower the levels of cortisol (stress hormone) in the blood. This, in turn, can reduce the stress a person might be facing by 30% after a single session of massage.
Another study published in the Journal for Depression and Anxiety revealed that anxiety patients who went for massage therapy regularly for 12 weeks showed a 50% reduction in their anxiety symptoms. And the best part of this effect was that it wasn’t short-term, these results were long-term and even after 26 weeks, the results were the same.
Apart from calming and relaxing the patients, massage therapy also helps in reducing other symptoms of anxiety as well as muscular tension and disturbance in sleep.
Helps in Getting Better Sleep
Furthermore, massage therapy is also helpful in promoting peaceful sleep to those who suffer from sleep disorders. Not only is massage effective in helping people with stress disorders to rest properly, but it also helps in providing relief to patients who are undergoing chemo, radiation, or some other such painful treatment.
Similarly, massage can promote better sleeping patterns in infants.
Improves Your Immunity
According to research, massage boosts the white blood cell counts in patients. As leukocytes are the body’s warriors that fight off germs, an increase in their quantity results in stronger immunity. Likewise, people suffering from HIV can greatly benefit from massage therapy as it helps in boosting immunity.
Effective in Treating Headaches
Not only massage therapy is helpful in treating body aches, but it’s also quite effective in treating headaches. Therefore, the next time you’re suffering from a severe headache, book a massage session for yourself and enjoy the amazing results. However, if the headache is accompanied by other symptoms, it’s a better idea to check with your physician to rule out other possibilities.
Facilitates in Rehabilitation
Many physiotherapist in Dubai recommend massage therapy to their patients who are undergoing rehabilitation. As massage therapy is quite effective in relaxing the stiffened muscles, patients who’ve suffered from a stroke can greatly benefit from it.
Furthermore, massage therapy for rehabilitation differs from regular massage as it focuses on specific areas of the body rather than providing relief as a whole. Therefore, if you’re going for massage therapy for medical reasons, book a massage at a place that offers medical massages.
These are some other benefits of massage therapy other than pain relieving.
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