10 Benefits of Massage Therapy [Infographic]

The demands of everyday living are greater than ever, so the need to lessen tension and stress is as unsurprising as it is real. Fortunately there is one simple treatment that people can seek out that will help them feel better both physically and mentally without having to take pills or spend a lot of money at the doctor’s office: massage therapy. Getting a professional to massage your muscles can have a wide variety of benefits that can greatly improve one’s quality of life. Lets take a look at some of the benefits of massage therapy:

10 Benefits of Massage Therapy

1. Reduces Tension in the Muscles

Muscle tension can result not only from intense exercise but also from poor posture while sitting at work and the general stress that can occur in daily life. A good massage therapist can lessen the tension in your muscles that is the result of the tension in your life, improving not only the feel of your muscles but also of your mood.

2. Eases Muscle Pain

A tough workout can leave your muscles feeling tight and achy, but reaching for that bottle of pain medication is unnecessary when the services of a skilled massage therapist are on hand. Massaging strained, taxed muscles is a natural, safe method of reducing the discomfort that can be caused by one set of reps too many with the dumbbells or one mile too far on the treadmill.

3. Enhances Circulation

While massaging muscles themselves can make the body feel better, massage therapy in general can also improve circulation all over the body. The better a person’s circulation, the less likely that that person is going to suffer from general fatigue, muscle aches, and fluid buildup in the extremities.

4. Improves Sleep Quality

Stress can mess with a body’s chemistry, interfering with a person’s ability to get a good night’s sleep. Receiving massage therapy can reduce the amount of stress hormones that are present in the body, thereby allowing people to get more high-quality rest than they would be able to achieve if the stress built up in their minds were not addressed.

5. Relieves Stress

The presence of stress in an individual’s life can cause numerous health problems, many of which stem from elevated levels of certain hormones within the body that activate a person’s fight-or-flight instincts. Too much stress can cause a person to change physically, emotionally, and behaviorally, but a good massage can go a long way towards bringing a person’s body chemistry back into balance.

6. Improves Joint Mobility

Humans live more sedentary lifestyles than they used to in years past, which often leads to the joints stiffening up from both age and lack of use. Massage therapy can stimulate the body to produce natural lubricants for the joints and can help keep the body in good working condition in terms of flexibility and fluidity.

7. Speeds Healing of Soft Tissue Injuries

The road to recovery from a muscle injury can be long and arduous, but sports massage therapy can improve a person’s healing rate and can decrease the amount of time that a muscle takes to heal after an injury. Massages can be used in tandem with traditional physical therapy methods to improve blood flow, decrease joint swelling, and loosen scar tissue on the muscles.

8. Stimulates Movement of Lymphatic Fluid

Lymphatic fluids take metabolic waste away from the body’s organs and muscles, decreasing blood pressure while improving the body’s ability to function. A good massage can help the lymphatic fluids dispose of waste, leading to increased circulation and lower blood pressure.

9. Improves Mental Alertness

While gaining increased mental awareness from an activity that is supposed to relax a person may seem counter-intuitive, massages can lead to a person having a clearer mind and lower stress levels. Since fatigue, stress, and lack of sleep can all lead to decreased mental functioning, a good massage can help the mind work better by virtue of getting rid of those negative barriers to good mental health and sharp decision-making skills.

10. Boosts Immune Function

Since elevated stress and fatigue levels can decrease the effectiveness of the body’s immune system, relieving those symptoms via massage can improve the functionality of the body’s built-in defense system.  Massage therapy can also lead to elevated levels of multiple types of cells that can increase the body’s ability to fight off disease and infection.

On top of all of these benefits, massages simply leave people feeling great. The combination of releasing stress from the body and experiencing human contact make massages a simple and pleasant solution to dealing with tension and the daily grind. In this age where people often experience feelings of isolation and separation, the emotions that one may feel after letting another person soothe their troubles away can be profound and healthy.

Start enjoying the benefits of massage therapy today by booking your massage through Body Kneads Massage Gold Coast.