Massage - A Look At the Benefits

A professional massage can do wonders to help your aching body. While not everyone's cup of tea, it is an ancient art that has been perfected with advances in the understanding of the human body. Today's therapists are more knowledgeable than ever before and they bring that knowledge to the table in an effort to make you feel as good as possible. But these sessions aren't just about letting out some stress or feeling good in the moment. Science has shown a host of short and long-term benefits to the practice.

Condition-Specific Benefits

Many people have their first experience with professional massage as the result of a specific condition they believe could be improved with the treatment. Often, they couldn't be more right in their assumption and this first foray into the practice leads to a lifetime love affair with the art. Some of the conditions that can benefit from a session or two include lower back pain, sore and tight muscles, workout recovery, lack of flexibility, and limited circulation. Of course, this only covers the physical realm. Some believe the benefits go beyond muscles and ligaments, extending to depression, anxiety, and even the immune system.

Stress

Most people think of stress as a fluctuating thing. You have a tough morning, thus you feel a lot of "stress." This is a layman's way of thinking about it, however. In reality, chronic stress is something that builds up in the body and it never really goes away. It is there when you are working against a tight deadline just as it is when you are trying to go to sleep at night. It is there when juggling fifteen different tasks and it is there when you are relaxing on the beach. It is important to eliminate as much of it as you can and massage has been shown to help. As it dissipates, you'll begin to notice better sleep patterns, more energy, and improved concentration.

Physiological Change

The physiological and chemical changes that occur in the body due to massage cannot be overstated. Because of these changes, studies have shown that participants experience a number of benefits. Some of these include seeing arthritis sufferers complain of fewer pains than before, improved breathing in asthmatic children, and lower blood pressure for those who have searched high and low for ways to bring it down. This barely scratches the surface of the benefits massage can bring to the body, but more research is coming in all the time. Studies or no studies, however, the only way to really know is to try it yourself.


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