What Are the Shocking Benefits of Massage Therapy?

How do you know if you need massage therapy? Do you feel stiffness in your body? Is your posture slightly off? Does your body feel tensed after slight physical activity? Does the tension in your body cause anxiety and stress? Do you feel pain moving your body in a certain way? These are the common symptoms that you need massage therapy immediately.

According to The American Institute of Stress, around 33% of people worldwide suffer from stress. 77% of them reported that stress affects their physical health negatively. To help counter stress, massage therapy provides numerous and super beneficial physical, mental, and spiritual benefits. 

If you’ve never had a massage or are considering starting to work out, you should go for massage therapy beforehand. 

This blog aims at educating on the health benefits and the types of massage therapy available, along with a bit of overview, history, and importance of massage therapy. At the end of this blog, you will get to know if you have any symptoms that require massage therapy.

So, let’s dive right in with the benefits of MT. 

Health Benefits of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy has several benefits for individuals who need their bodies reset. Individuals of all ages and backgrounds can opt for massage therapy with physical, mental, and spiritual benefits.

1. Physical Benefits

A large fraction of people undergo massage therapy because of its physical benefits. Massage therapy has an extensive list of physical benefits, which are: 

• Massage therapy reduces chronic pain in muscles, joints, and tissues as it increases the blood flow across the body and releases tension in the targeted areas.
• It helps regain the original posture of the body as it loosens the tensed muscles and aligns your body to its original form. 
• It reduces muscle tension, allowing the muscle to relax. This leads to increased mobility, greater athleticism, and less chance of injury. 
• It helps in increasing circulation and reducing inflammation in the body, which promotes relaxation. 
• Massage therapy promotes faster body healing as the blood flow increases. 
• Massage therapy helps increase the immune system by increasing blood flow and relaxing the body. 

2. Mental Benefits

A large fraction of people undergo massage therapy because of its physical benefits. Massage therapy has an extensive list of physical benefits, which are: 

• Massage therapy reduces chronic pain in muscles, joints, and tissues as it increases the blood flow across the body and releases tension in the targeted areas.
• It helps regain the original posture of the body as it loosens the tensed muscles and aligns your body to its original form. 
• It reduces muscle tension, allowing the muscle to relax. This leads to increased mobility, greater athleticism, and less chance of injury. 
• It helps in increasing circulation and reducing inflammation in the body, which promotes relaxation. 
• Massage therapy promotes faster body healing as the blood flow increases. 
• Massage therapy helps increase the immune system by increasing blood flow and relaxing the body. 

3. Integrative Medicine Benefits

Massage therapy can be used collaboratively with other treatments like acupuncture, chiropractic care, and physiotherapy to maximize its benefits. In an integrative approach, massage therapy is combined with other treatments to provide a comprehensive healthcare solution to the individuals. 

Integrative medicine considers all the physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional aspects of healing to provide an all-in-one solution for individuals. It integrates various techniques and treatments that ensure all recovery areas are covered.

Little Overview Of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is a type of physical therapy that involves rubbing, kneading, and patting the body’s soft tissues to enhance the physical and mental state of a person. It is a helpful tool for the relaxation and manual manipulation of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and soft tissues. Massage therapy can treat several conditions, including stress, anxiety, depression, stiffness of muscles, and digestive order. 

During massage therapy, the therapist will use many methods, including stroking, kneading, tapping, stretching, or applying pressure to manipulate the body’s soft tissues. They will apply pressure with their fingers, forearms, elbows, and palms to achieve maximum efficiency.

History Of MT

The history of massage therapy dates back thousands of years. Originally, massage therapy is known to have originated from the Indians and the Chinese and later was adopted by Romans and Greeks. Massage therapy has been practiced in India, China, Greece, and Rome for many years.

In ancient China, it was known as “An Mo” and was used to treat many conditions, including digestive issues and musculoskeletal disorders. In India, for over 500 years, massage therapy has been a part of Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient medicine system. Ayurvedic massage techniques were used to promote physical and mental health and balance.

In the US, massage therapy began as a norm after the 19th century as a form of physical therapy. These days, it treats various treatments and conditions and provides relaxation and stress relief. 

Common Types of Massage Therapy

Many types of massage therapies are available, each serving a different purpose. Here are the most common types of messages available as per your requirement:

1. Swedish Massage

Swedish massage is the most accustomed type of massage nowadays. 

It involves five basic strokes; gliding strokes, kneading, circular movements, rhythmic tapping, and vibration. Therapists also use stretching, deep pressure, and joint mobilization techniques. 

Swedish massage is performed using a variety of massage oils, lotions, and creams (to reduce friction), with the client lying on the massage table draped with a sheet or a towel for privacy reasons. 

It has multiple benefits, including stress relief, muscle loosening, improved circulation, and better mental and physical health.

2. Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage focuses on releasing tension and knots in the deeper layers of the muscle tissue and fascia (tissues that connect and surround organs and muscles). It treats chronic pain, muscle tension, and limited mobility due to injuries.

Therapists use slow, deliberate strokes and deep pressure techniques to target deep layers of muscle tissue. They use fingers, elbows, knuckles, and fists to pressure target areas to break the tension and adhesion among the muscles. It can relieve pain, improve flexibility, reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve posture.

3. Sports Massage

Sports massage is a type of massage that is used to prepare athletes before and recover after the games. 

Sport massage therapists use a wide variety of techniques to regulate blood circulation and loosen the tension between the muscles. The therapist may use different massage and stretching techniques to target specific body areas. 

Sports massage can be beneficial for improved performance, fatigue reduction, and prevention of injuries. It can also be used to recover after physical activity and is beneficial for both before and after physical activity sessions. 

Benefits of sports massage therapy include elongation of muscle strength while decreasing the risk of injury or pulling a muscle. Athletes can improve their performance and have better training sessions.

4. Trigger Point Massage

Trigger point massage is a type of massage therapy that aims to relieve pain and tension in specific body areas, known as trigger points. Trigger points are areas of muscle fibers that have become tensed and tight, causing discomfort and pain. 

Therapists, during trigger point massage, use techniques like deep pressure to identify trigger points and release tension from that muscle. It focuses on specific areas of the body prone to pain and stress and is used to relieve pain and restore range of motion.

Trigger point massage treats issues like muscle tension, chronic pain, headaches, and more. Unlike other massage therapies, trigger point massage focuses on specific targeted body areas and can improve flexibility and mobility.

5. Shiatsu Massage

Shiatsu massage is a Japanese massage therapy that helps improve relaxation and balance in the body. 

The word Shiatsu means “finger pressure” in the Japanese language, and shiatsu therapy includes the application of pressure through fingers, palms, and hands to target specific areas of the body. Shiatsu massage is a type of massage that uses acupressure to stimulate the body’s natural healing processes.

This massage can benefit people with anxiety, depression, stress, headaches, and insomnia. Shiatsu promotes well-being and balance in the body, which can help alleviate pain and discomfort. The best part about Shiatsu massage is that it stimulates the body’s natural healing process and helps release tension in the muscle.

Last, Who Can Benefit from Massage Therapy?

A wide range of individuals can benefit from massage therapy, including:

1. People with chronic pain want to reduce discomfort caused by arthritis, fibromyalgia, and back pain.
2. Athletes looking to increase mobility, fitness, flexibility, and range of motion. 
3. Pregnant women looking for stress and anxiety relief.
4. People struggling with anxiety issues and stress management.
5. People who have insomnia looking to get their sleep disorders fixed.
6. People with tension headaches looking for relaxation in their muscles.

Massage therapy can be beneficial for people of all ages and activity levels. It can treat various conditions, including pain, stress, anxiety, depression, and digestive disorders.

Diana Thomas’s Final Wordings

Massage therapy has a lot of benefits for individuals looking to get their bodies fixed. Along with physical benefits, it provides excellent mental and spiritual help to aid your body. 

If you feel low, frequently lightheaded, or if your muscles feel stiff, getting massage therapy will be a wise option to get your body reset to the default settings!

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