The Facts About Massage Therapy

The facts about massage therapy are many!

Some health benefits are long-lasting and others are short-term. Massage therapists give clients information on how to have healthier lives through changes in habits such as diet, exercise, and drinking plenty of water. They also teach self-care, like stretching, self-massage, meditation, and relaxing breathing.

Massage therapy affects the skin, muscles, connective tissues, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, digestive system, urinary system, immune system, nervous system, lymphatic system, and the endocrine system--massage is great for a lot of systems in the body. Let's break it down to make it a little easier to understand.

The first health benefit, and one that most people know even if they have never had a massage is:

Improved circulation

Many more health benefits follow:

Lowers blood pressure

Gets oxygen and nutrients to cells faster

Waste products are moved away from cells more easily

Heart and pulse rates are reduced

Red and white blood cells and platelets increase

Lymph circulation increases

Swelling is reduced

Natural killer cells increase in function and amount

Skin conditions are improved

Skin gland production is improved

Superficial scar tissue is reduced

Stress and anxiety are reduced

Relaxation is activated, decreasing pain

Increase in delta wave and alpha wave activity and decrease in beta wave activity all confirmed by EEG

Natural dopamine and serotonin are increased which helps to reduce stress and depression

Relieves muscular tension and relaxes muscles

Takes away soreness and fatigue from muscles

Increases range of motion and flexibility

Motor skills are improved

Promotes healing of fractures

Decreases asthma attacks and difficult breathing

Increases fluid discharge from lungs

Relieves constipation and intestinal gas

Stimulates digestion

Increases urinary output

Improves sleep patterns

Reduces work-related stress

Reduces posttraumatic stress

Improves your mood

Decreases angry feelings

Improves self-esteem

Increases academic performance and mental alertness

Satisfies emotional and touch needs

Believe it or not, there are still more facts about massage therapy but the most important health benefits are listed above.

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