10 Health Benefits of Massage

In addition to feeling great, massage offers numerous health benefits for both your body and mind.

1. Reduced pain and stiffness. Massage helps people spend more time in deep sleep, the restorative stage in which your body barely moves.

2. Reduced inflammation and swelling. Massage supplements standard injury rehabilitation procedures, helps the body pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissue and vital organs, and accelerates the rehabilitation process.

3. Stress management. Massage therapy lowers cortisol, a hormone that’s produced in response to stress, by an average of 31 percent. And when cortisol levels decline, serotonin (contributor to feelings of well-being and happiness) levels increase. Research has shown serotonin levels to increase on average 28 percent after massage therapy.

4. Deceased anxiety and depression. Massage can also boost the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, which are involved in depression.

5. A stronger immune system. Many studies have shown that regular massage helps to keep the immune system strong and resistant from disease.

6. Increased lymph circulation. Lymph is naturally moved through the body through exercise which milks the muscles and helps to rinse toxins and impurities from the body. The lymphatic system is the first responder to infections and diseases. The smoother it runs, the less likely you are to become vulnerable to disease and disorders.

7. Improved blood circulation and blood pressure. Massage can lower your blood pressure and slow down your heart rate.

8. Better sleep. If you’ve ever dozed off on a massage table, you don’t need to be convinced that a massage can promote healthy sleep. It has also been said that one hour of effective massage can be equal to 4 hours of rest.

9. Increased flexibility. By working on muscles, connective tissues, tendons, ligaments, and joints, regular massage can improve your flexibility and range of motion, keeping your joints more fluid and making them less injury prone.

10. Better breathing. Respiratory issues, such as allergies, sinus problems, asthma and bronchitis, are one group of conditions that can benefit from massage therapy.