Juggling multiple responsibilities every day can take a toll on your physical health. This often manifests in the form of back pain, aching muscles, and tender joints. Sometimes, a quick trip to a massage parlor is all you need to relax and prep your body to survive another day.
If you’re a fan of a body massage, you probably know already that there’s different types. The most common types include Swedish, Sports, Deep, and Trigger point massages. Although the techniques used in each type vary, all of them use rubbing, kneading, and pressing strokes to manipulate the skin, tendons, muscles, and ligaments.
Health Benefits of Massages
Aside from making you feel good, here are the lesser-known health benefits of massage therapy:
- Relieves Muscle Pain and Stiffness
Stiff muscles often result from overuse and stress. Doing repetitive activities, most especially those that require physical exertion, will trigger the release of lactic acid. Lactic acid is a byproduct of muscle metabolism. However, in large quantities, it can irritate the muscles — leading to muscle pain and discomfort.
Massage therapy can help relieve muscle stiffness as the slow, kneading, and pressing strokes can help release the lactic acid build up from the muscle tissue. It will also help increase the blood flow to the area so your muscles can repair themselves and recover faster.
- Promote Better Blood Circulation
The human body, as complex as it is, basically relies on oxygen and glucose to survive. Research has shown that massage therapy can enhance the circulation of blood in targeted areas of your body, thereby facilitating the distribution of oxygen and glucose to your tissues.
Take note, however, that despite these health benefits, it’s best to consult with your doctors prior to going to a massage parlor, most especially if you have an underlying medical condition.
- Lowers Blood Pressure
According to the recent report released by the American Heart Association (AHA), 103 million adults in America have high blood pressure. The campaign to fight the disease has never been more needed.
It’s a good thing that even if you have a genetic predisposition to develop high blood pressure, there’s many ways to cancel it out. Aside from pharmaceutical and lifestyle interventions, recent studies have further validated the positive effects of massage in lowering blood pressure.
A study published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine has concluded that massage therapy is a safe and effective means of controlling blood pressure. Not only is it cost-effective, it’s also natural.
- Boosts the Immune System
A full body massage is not only beneficial to your blood flow; it also helps improve the functionality of your immune system.
Clinical tests have concluded that a body massage can boost your white blood cells by up to 70%. White blood cells (WBC) are your body’s natural guard against infectious diseases and harmful microorganisms.
A regular body massage can also increase your immune responses cytotoxic capacity — or your natural killer cell’s ability to contain viral infections. The kneading and rolling techniques can also stimulate the drainage of your lymphatic system, resulting in increased lymph flow and more efficient removal of waste products.
Despite these benefits, be reminded that the body’s immune response is a complex web of processes. If you have a diagnosed disease, consult with your doctor if you need massage restrictions and special considerations.
- Improves Skin Health
Experiencing a daily dose of stress and fatigue can make your skin look dry and dull. But don’t fret because there’s a natural remedy to that.
You already know that a massage can improve the blood circulation in its target areas, nourishing your cells with oxygen and nutrients. The increase in blood flow will aid in faster tissue regeneration and repair, which can reduce your stretch-marks, scars, and wrinkles.
The oil used during the massage can also moisturize your skin and the gentle pressure and kneading strokes also help remove your dead skin cells. Not only will a massage improve your skin tone, it will also make you look radiant from within.
- Helps Reduce Anxiety
A body massage is known to have a relaxing effect but do you know that it can also reduce your anxiety levels and treat depression? Your anxiety level rises when you encounter stressful situations and the inability to cope with stress can lead to depression.
A therapeutic massage can help reduce your anxiety as it stimulates your body to release endorphins, also known as your ‘feel-good’ hormones. Research has also shown that there is a significant decrease in the level of Arginine Vasopressin, a hormone that is linked with aggressive behavior and stress hormone release.
Conclusion
Massages have many physical and psychological benefits that you can get in a non-invasive way. It’s important, however, to ensure that you avail the services of professional and trained massage therapists, like those from riviera sports massage. If you have a medical condition or if you’re pregnant, ask for a green signal from your doctor before going to a massage parlor.
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