Benefits of Massage Therapy

The medical definition of massage is “the manipulation of muscle and connective tissue to enhance the function of those tissues and promote relaxation and well-being.”

There are many benefits that can be obtained through massage therapy, including the most basic benefits such as relaxation, stress relief, pain relief, etc., but there are also many added benefits that can be achieved through massage therapy that people aren't even aware of. This can include better physical health, better mental health, as well as anxiety relief, etc.

Much research has been done on a variety of massage therapy techniques and their effects on patients, and the results have been so promising that more trials and studies are being performed regularly. Some of the benefits of massage therapy proven through scientific studies include the following:

One study showed that people who get a massage before an exam or other potentially stressful situation had a significant decrease in anxiety and respiratory rates, as well as a significant increase in white blood cells

Another study showed that office workers who get a regular massage are more alert, perform better and are less stressed than those who aren’t massaged regularly.
Many studies have proven that geriatric massage can decrease the agitation in elderly nursing home residents.

There are currently many studies underway that are showing positive effects of massage on cancer patients. These are showing increase in natural killer (NK) cells, which boosts the immune system, possibly leading to a slower progression of cancer, as well as a decrease in depression, anxiety and pain.

One study showed that medical patients who had recently underwent heart surgery showed a significant decrease in anxiety and stress after receiving a massage, which can suggest that their overall health could be better later since stress and anxiety are directly related to heart conditions. This also applies to other medical conditions. The following statement was made by Joan Borysenko in a Massage Journal Interview in the fall of 1999:

"Often times people are stressed in our culture. Stress-related disorders make up between 80-and-90 percent of the ailments that bring people to family practice physicians. What they require is someone to listen, someone to touch them, someone to care. That does not exist in modern medicine.

One of the complaints heard frequently is that physicians don't touch their patients any more. Touch just isn't there. Years ago massage was a big part of nursing. There was so much care, so much touch, so much goodness conveyed through massage. Now nurses for the most part are as busy as physicians. They're writing charts, dealing with insurance notes, they're doing procedures and often there is no room for massage any more.
I believe massage therapy is absolutely key in the healing process not only in the hospital environment but because it relieves stress, it is obviously foundational in the healing process any time and anywhere."

Massage is also becoming more and more popular. The more studies that are completed with positive results, the more widely accepted it becomes, the more easily accessible it is, and the more affordable it will be.

Many people are taking advantage of massage on a regular basis, and these people have less stress and anxiety, a better sense of well-being, and better general health.

If you haven’t tried massage therapy there’s no time like the present to get started on a healthier, happier life. Schedule an appointment today to start experiencing the many benefits that massage therapy has to offer.