Stressed out? A little achy? Individuals indulge in massage for a variety of reasons, because it brings so many benefits to the table and just plain feels good. We like to look at massage therapy from a holistic perspective of helping both the mind and body. Let’s look at the latter, and explore some of the biggest physical benefits of massage.
The slouch. The slump. The hunch. It’s important to take care of our bodies and their muscles, but sitting and standing up straight isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Do you work in an office? Odds are high that you strain your back and hip muscles by leaning over a computer keyboard. Over time, you start to ache because your body isn’t aligned correctly and those muscles are working overtime. What’s more, all of this extra tension pushes down on your organs, too, messing with healthy digestion.
The good news is that aside from a concentrated effort to do what mamma always told you (“Sit up straight!”), massage is a viable relief option. Massage therapy helps with posture in a few ways, too.
- Get Loose -
Massage treatment, from deep tissue therapy to Swedish massage, loosens the very same muscle groups you’re stressing out while hunching over your desk at work or leaning over the kitchen stove.
- Return to Natural Movement -
In working strained muscles and joints, your massage therapist relieves various pressure points, permitting you to move more naturally without pain and return to a healthy posture.
Whether they’re dull and achy or constantly pounding, headaches are, well, a pain. It can be especially taxing when you not only suffer from the occasional headache, but rather intense migraines or tension headaches. Who wants to rely on pain relievers every day? Massage provides a medicine-free solution to chronic headache pain.
- Release the Endorphins -
What actually allows pain relief? Our bodies produce “feel good” hormones called endorphins to create a sense of calm and relaxation. By massaging the neck, shoulders and scalp, therapists release these hormones to allow headaches to subside.
- Reduce Flare-Ups -
If massage has helped with migraine pain once before, it probably will again. In a proactive approach, making massage part of your regular routine will help to dissolve stress, reducing headache flare-ups. As an added bonus, if you have a frequent muscle spasm in your eye or forehead, regular treatment will settle this down.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes...Can’t do that dance anymore? As we get older, and as we spend more and more time at our desks, movement deteriorates. While it won’t create the sudden ability to do the splits, massage may restore flexibility to the extent of toe touches and basic stretching.
- Let Us See You Flex - In addition to loosening muscles and joints, massage therapy provides the benefits of working the individual tendons, ligaments and connective tissue throughout your body. In stimulating all of these different areas of the body, you experience enhanced flexibility and improved range of motion.
- Prevent Injury -
Tripping over your own two feet or taking a fall are not pleasant. However, greater flexibility makes you less susceptible to significant injuries in scenarios like this. And if you suffer from an inflammatory condition like arthritis, pain might seem like a part of life. The good news is that massage keeps symptoms from worsening.
From those headaches that just won’t quit to limited mobility and flexibility, massage therapy can provide relief. Get in touch with us to discuss your pain points, talk through our services and choose the right service for you.
