06/21/2017
8 Massage Therapy Benefits
1. Treats Lower Back Pain
According to a Cochrane review on massage therapy for chronic lower back pain featuring 13 clinical trials, massage might be beneficial for patients with acute and chronic low-back pain, especially when combined with other holistic exercises and education. Some evidence suggests that acupuncture massage (acupressure) can be even more effective than classic/Swedish massage for lowering back pain. (2)
2. Reduces Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Bursitis & Joint Pain
Around 35 percent of all people who receive massages do so to help ease pain associated with stiffness, soreness, injuries and chronic health conditions. Massages have been found to effectively relax muscles and stiff joints, plus lower symptoms associated with fibromyalgia — a chronic syndrome characterized by generalized pain, joint rigidity, intense fatigue, sleep alterations, headache and muscle spasms.
In 2011, the journal Evidence Based Complimentary & Alternative Medicineprinted findings from one randomized controlled clinical trial investigating whether massage-myofascial release therapy could improve pain, anxiety, quality of sleep, depression, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. Seventy-four fibromyalgia patients were randomly assigned to experimental or placebo groups for 20 weeks. Results showed that immediately after treatment and at the one-month mark, symptoms of anxiety, quality of sleep, pain and quality of life were significantly improved in the experimental group compared to the placebo group. (3)
3. Can Help Lower High Blood Pressure
According to a 2013 report published in the International Journal of Preventative Medicine, patients who receive massage therapy on average display lower mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings than those in control groups. Evaluation of massage therapy’s effects on blood pressure show that “massage is safe, effective, applicable and cost-effective intervention in controlling BP and pre-hypertension.” (4)
4. Lowers Depression, Anxiety & Fatigue
Massage therapy has been shown to help lower feelings of stress, along with depression and the fatigue that accompanies it. Studies have found that the presence of depression is often triggered by active and chronic pain, and that depression itself then leads to worsened muscle tension and pain.
Some findings show that chronic pain and depression can both be attributed to alterations in cognitive functioning, specifically in the hypothalamus-hypophyseal-adrenal axis. (5) Multidisciplinary massage approaches can help reverse the cycle of depression and have achieved significant improvements in patients with chronic muscle tension, pain, low energy or trouble sleeping, and depression.
5. Helps Regulate Hormones & Control Diabetes
Alternative therapies are now being used to treat the underlying hormonal and inflammatory causes of diabetes, including massage, dietary supplements, acupuncture, hydrotherapy and yoga therapies. These seem to be effective for lowering diabetes symptoms and risk factors, plus they don’t have the side effects of conventional medications or approaches for treating diabetes. (6)
Massage therapy has been recommended for diabetes for over 100 years, and various studies have found it can help with inducing relaxation, lowering nerve damage (neuropathy), helping people to become more active, reducing emotional eating, improving diet quality, improving sleep, helping to restore proper use of insulin, and lowering inflammation caused by hormonal imbalances.
6. Raises Immunity
The Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia has found that Swedish massage therapy can help cancer patients deal with symptoms of their illness and lower distress, which might be able to boost recovery.
Swedish massage interventions on oncology patients show positive results for reducing perceived levels of four measures: pain, physical discomfort, emotional discomfort and fatigue. A total of 251 oncology patients volunteered to participate in the hospital’s study for over a 3-year period, and an analysis found a statistically significant reduction in patient-reported distress for all four of these measures. (7)
7. Helps with Smoking Cessation
Research done by University of Miami School of Medicine showed that that self-massages can be an effective adjunct treatment for adults attempting smoking cessation. Massage has been shown to alleviate smoking-related anxiety, reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, improve mood, and reduce the number of ci******es smoked. (8)
8. Helps Improve Athletic Performance & Prevent Sports Injuries
Certain types of massages including sports massages are specifically designed to enhance athletic performance and recovery while preventing problems such as ligament tears or running injuries. It’s common today for athletes to receive massages which are performed at their athletic arena or training site to help establish blood flow and to warm up muscles prior to an event. Some sports massages also utilize other practices like visualization, meditation and deep breathing to calm the nervous system and improve the quality of healing between events.
