Saturday, October 29, 2011

Massage Therapy - Its Physical and Mental Benefits

Everyone enjoys a massage from time to time. Professional massages might cost a little money, but they are well worth every penny. They make us feel good both inside and out. Our muscles and minds relax during a massage, giving us a pure feeling of euphoria. Of course, we all know that a massage feels good from personal experience, but recent research is beginning to show that massage therapy has numerous medicinal benefits, too.

To put it into words, a massage is the manipulation of the soft tissues. You can massage your back, legs, arms, and even head and jaw. This manipulation relieves stress and relaxes the body. This might sound great, but what could it possibly do for a person's overall health?

One of the most important benefits to a massage is that it lowers a person's blood pressure. If you suffer from high blood pressure, getting a professional massage could be helpful. You'll not only relax your body, but your heart will slow down as well. High blood pressure can lead to numerous health problems such as heart attack or stroke. If you'd like to prevent these serious health conditions, an occasional massage might be one thing you can try.

Massages are good for a person's mental health, too. Many psychiatrists recommend massage therapy to their patients who suffer from anxiety, depression, and various mental conditions. The fact that massage lowers the blood pressure is all the more proof that it physically relaxes the body, which in turn relaxes the mind. Professional massage is often accompanied by relaxation music which can make the experience all the more soothing.

There are a number of other benefits to massage therapy. Pain reduction is a great reason to get a massage. Whether you have back pain, head pain, or even knee pain, massage therapy can help to reduce the amount of pain you feel.

If you've been injured, a massage is a great way to make you feel better faster. Not only does it ease the pain you feel but it also increases blood flow. This increased blood flow will help your body to heal faster from that injury. It's a two-for-one fix!

There are many more ways massage therapy can be beneficial. It can help reduce the effects of osteoporosis, assist preterm infants in development, increase pulmonary function in asthma sufferers, improve immune functions in HIV patients, and even decrease levels of glucose in people with diabetes.

So, with all these benefits, why NOT get a massage? It's not a cure-all for the above-mentioned ailments, but it sure can help and it's relatively safe. Check your local business listings for the massage therapist nearest to you and get a little work done today!

Massage Therapy Benefits

A massage after a long week of hard work and running around is surely a deserved treat. As the pudgy hands of the masseuse, slowly knead your body, they entice the stressed parts of the body to relax and rejuvenate. They know which massage therapy will suit your body and relieve you from strain. Massage therapy benefits are not only of relaxation and rejuvenation, but also other medicinal benefits. The history of massages, shows that ancient Greeks used massages for good health and healing. Thus, its clear that the massaging techniques have evolved over a period of 2000 years, granting well-being and healthy living.

Benefits of Massage Therapy
Swedish Massage
Swedish massage is the most popular massage therapy in United States. The masseuse uses long smooth stokes for massaging. They knead the layers of the skin and muscles in circular motions using lotion of oil. The gentleness of the massage makes the body feel light. Swedish massage helps in reducing back pain, arthritis, tendinitis, stress-relief, headaches, migraines, spasms and sprains, carpal tunnel syndrome, respiratory problems and post-surgical rehabilitation. The 40-90 minute session begins with consultation about symptoms, lifestyle and medical history.

Aromatherapy Massage
Aromatherapy massage uses scented plant oils for massaging the body. The essential oils, like the chamomile essential oil, have medicinal properties. German chamomile essential oil has the ability of inducing sleep, which is considered to be a remedy for insomnia. Depending on the problems, the massage therapists use the oils for stress relief, balancing and energizing. The most commonly used aromatherapy oil in the aromatherapy massage is the lavender oil. As you inhale the aroma, the essential oil molecules reach your limbic system and positively affect the heart-rate, breathing, memory, digestion and immune system. The oils get absorbed in the skin. The essential function of essential oils is to have a calming effect, uplifting the mood, energizing and de-congesting the system. Health benefits of massage therapy are, headache relief, curing digestive disorders, managing premenstrual syndrome and reducing back pain.

Hot Stone Massage
Hot stone massage, as the phrase suggests uses hot stones or flat stones to massage the body. The heated flat stones are placed at key points of the body for healing. The basalt type rock, is a rich source of iron and thus retains the heat. These rocks are usually found in the river beds, which is the reason why they are flat with smooth curved edges. The heat relaxes the muscles and improves circulation in the nervous system. These stones are kept on the energy centers or Chakras in the body, which bring about the harmony of body and mind. Hot stone massages help people to deal with depression, anxiety, insomnia, Osteoarthritis and arthritis pain, back pain and aches.

Shiatsu
Shiatsu is a Japanese massage, which means using 'finger pressure'. Shiatsu line of thought believes, the reason for illness is blockage in the flow of energy through the body. Basically, Shiatsu 'overactive sympathetic nervous system, which improves circulation, relieves stiff muscles, and alleviates stress.' The masseuse do this body work in a rhythm with their fingers and palms. Shiatsu relieves the body from stress, depression, constipation, poor digestion, tiredness, headache, back pain, neck and shoulder pain and premenstrual syndrome.

It has been medically proved, that massage therapy health benefits are improvement of immune system and render in holistic cure. The biggest massage therapy benefits are union of body and mind. To look at it carefully, a dysfunctional body is a result of disturbed mind. Massages are to calm the sense, improving the thinking ability of the brain. Once the brain begins to function properly, the body automatically gets better. Day-to-day stress cannot be escaped, the remedy to dealing with the stress is to indulge in massages. As a matter of fact, a health benefit of massage is 'powerful self esteem', so why not make a trip to the spa this weekend!