Everybody Deserves a Massage Week
July is here! Which means it’s time to get ready for a national week you may or may not have heard of: Everybody Deserves a Massage Week!
From July 18th-July 24th this 2021, this special week is here to spread awareness about the benefits of massage. It’s also here to bring attention to the massage therapy career and appreciation to the therapists themselves. You’ve got to give it to them — they strain their bodies to heal other bodies!
So, let’s explain why you need a massage this week!
What Are the Benefits of Receiving Massage Therapy?
Relieves Pain and Stress
- Massage promotes both physical and mental relaxation. It does this by slowing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and easing muscle tension.
- Therapeutic touch stimulates the production of feel-good Endorphins and serotonin are the happy hormones, and dopamine is the pain relief hormone.
- Massage suppresses production of the stress hormone cortisol.
Promotes Restful Sleep
- Serotonin does more than just calm the body. It’s also the precursor for the sleep chemical, melatonin. Melatonin and serotonin work together to regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
Boosts Immunity
- Serotonin really is magical, you know. Low serotonin levels are linked to lower immunity.
- Mindful skin-to-skin contact stimulates the surge of t-cells. These special lymphocytes find and destroy sickness-causing toxins.
Improves Balance and Posture
- There is a direct correlation between posture and balance. Forward head posture pulls on the entire posterior chain, the back of your head all the way down to the feet. The muscles will stiffen, which will impair muscular function, and from there, throw off the body’s balance.
- Massage will release, lengthen, and strengthen the muscle fibers. This will encourage the body to fall into proper alignment.
Reduces Headache Frequency
- Tight muscles, inadequate sleep, low immunity, and poor posture are all causes for headaches. As was just mentioned in all the previous bullets, massage targets each of those.
- There are specific types of massage that target headaches. Another cause of headaches is TMJ dysfunction, which can be treated with massage that targets the jaw.
Now Thank Your Massage Therapist!
As you celebrate this week, let your therapists know they’re appreciated. The job is rewarding, but the work expels a lot of energy. A smile and a thank you goes a long way. And so do greeting cards. And boxes of cookies. Believe me, we love it when we find shareable treats in the break room!
Happy Everybody Deserves a Massage Week! Go get your massage!
Katrina Jenkins
Author, Licensed Massage Therapist
Katrina Jenkins graduated from Towson University in 2013 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science and worked as a nurse’s aide briefly before pursuing her true passion. She graduated from the Massage Therapy Institute of Colorado in April 2016 with honors and completed the Touch of Healers Scholarship Program the following summer. She has been a part of the Moyer Total Wellness Team since the summer of 2017.
Resources
Durand, M. (2019). Restoring Balance | Massage Therapy Journal. [online] American Massage Therapy Association. Available at: https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/massage-postural-stability/.
Herr, N., Bode, C. and Duerschmied, D. (2017). The Effects of Serotonin in Immune Cells. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, [online] 4. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5517399/.
Moyer Total Wellness. (n.d.). Benefits of Massage Therapy. [online] Available at: https://moyerwellness.com/benefits-of-massage-therapy/.
National Day Calendar. (n.d.). EVERYBODY DESERVES A MASSAGE WEEK. [online] Available at: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/everybody-deserves-a-massage-week/.
Photo Credit
Canva by graphixchon