When people come to us with a specific condition or pain and ask if massage help, the answer is almost always a resounding, YES!
While there are many methods and modalities to massage, there is almost certainly a way for massage to help you start feeling better. Massage is an effective treatment for a wide variety of issues, from pain to stress and even depression. Before turning to pills, try the natural approach to healing with massage.
What Can Massage Do?
Here is just a small selection of ways massage can help.
Neck Pain
Consistent neck pain is common and can be caused by any number of factors from poor posture to a car accident or even stress. Doctors often prescribe anti-inflammatory medicines which don’t usually do enough if anything for patients. Massage around the spine can alleviate tension in the cervical spine and reduce neck pain.
Athletic Performance
Massage can not only help you recover from an intense workout or aid in rehabbing an injury, but if done regularly, massage can also help prevent an injury from happening in the first place. Massage can also increase blood flow throughout the body, relieve tension, improve healing, and improve muscle flexibility, all of which are extremely beneficial to athletes.
Depression
Swedish and other massage modalities can all ease depression. Massage reduces stress hormone levels, blood pressure, and heart rate. It also triggers the release of oxytocin and serotonin levels which can boost your mood and relaxation.
Stress
One of the best ways to manage stress is through massage. Massage can lower your heart rate, cortisol levels, and insulin levels – all of which help lower stress.
High Blood Pressure
Swedish massage is extremely effective in lowering blood pressure. Receiving massage on a regular basis may help reduce your stress levels which in turn, will help lower your blood pressure.
Lower Back Pain
There are two important muscles that are often the cause of low back pain – the quadratus lumborum (QL) and the gluteus medius. Focusing an entire massage on these two muscles, and others connected, can provide major relief for lower back pain.
What Else Can Massage Help With?
The list of benefits of massage therapy is literally endless and have not all been fully explained here. If you are wondering if massage therapy can help you, please schedule a free consultation with Dr Moyer to discuss the best approach for you.
It’s also important to make sure that you are paired with the best therapist for your needs. While all of our therapists are very talented, they are all very different as well. When scheduling, please make sure to discuss what you are looking to get out of your massage so we can make sure we get you scheduled with the right therapist.
Originally Published March 16, 2012 Updated July 8, 2019 by Nicole Morrison
Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash
