The benefits of 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 the benefits down to make it a little easier to understand.
Actual Health Benefits Of Massage Therapy
- Improved circulation
- 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 post-traumatic 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 of massage therapy are listed above.
Sports Massage Program 