Massage Benefits

Top 5 Clinically Proven Benefits of Massage

Massage therapy is one oldest healing practice in medical history. It is not just a luxury, it helps you relax, realign and rejuvenate and can be a key piece of your health & wellness plan. Regularly scheduled self-care plays an important part in how healthy you’ll be and how vital you will remain with each passing year.

Here are the top 5 clinically proven health benefits of massage treatments.

1. Boost Immune System
Many studies have linked massages to improved functioning of the immune system. In one 2010 study, massage was shown to improve production of white blood cells which fight against disease. The same study was repeated with a focus on how massage effects hormone levels and it showed that people who had massage twice a week had decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol and more oxytocin, the trust hormone.

2. Improves Well- Being
A relaxing massage can reduce anxiety, stress and depression. As mentioned previously, massage has been proven to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This improves your overall feeling of well-being and can reduce blood pressure. Massage can also increase levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, which is great for people suffering from depression.

3. Reduces Inflammations
A study published in Science Translational Medicine in 2012 found that massage greatly relieves sore muscles after physical exercise. Just 10 minutes of massage can reduce inflammation and help your body recover more quickly.

4. Reduces Pain
A 2011 study of lower back pain published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that massage could help alleviate chronic lower back pain. After receiving 1 massage a week for 10 weeks, 1 out of 3 patients were relieved of pain compared to 1 in 25 given “usual care”.

A 2006 study published in the American Archives of Internal Medicine showed that frequent massages could decrease stiffness and pain and improve movement in people with osteoarthritis.

5. Improves Sleep
Even insomniacs may find it easier to get a good night’s rest after a massage treatment. Some people even fall asleep while they are being massaged! Many studies have addressed this phenomenon and accredit it to massage’s affect on delta waves, which are the brain waves associated with deep sleep.