For the majority of people, the primary reason they get a massage is to deal with medical or stress-related issues. However, research indicates that there are countless more benefits to receiving massage therapy than just the obvious ones, such as enhanced circulation, reduced pain, improved flexibility, and boosted immunity.
Read on to find out more surprising benefits that come with including regular massage therapy in your life.
1. Massage Therapy Counteracts Too Much Sitting
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If your work involves sitting at a desk all day, then you stand to benefit a lot from receiving regular massages. This is particularly true if you’re dealing with any type of postural stress which typically manifests in the neck and shoulders.
For most desk workers, advanced types of postural stress can show up as weakness or pain in the gluteals and lower back due to sitting in one spot for prolonged periods of time.
You probably already know that too much sitting can have a negative impact on your health. Massage is a great way of counteracting that imbalance while receiving a ton of other amazing benefits at the same time.
2. Regular Massage Improves Quality of Sleep
If you feel tired or lethargic in the morning regardless of how many hours of sleep you had, then you could benefit from massage therapy to help improve the quality of your sleep. Simply getting a full 7-8 hours of sleep every night isn’t good enough. You also need to ensure that it’s quality sleep.
Massage therapy promotes relaxation and helps you get a good nights’ sleep so you can wake up fully rested and ready to take on the new day. This is true for people of all ages, including the elderly and even young babies. Studies conducted at the University of Warwick have shown that infants cry less and sleep more with regular massage
3. Massage Reduces Chemo-Related Nausea in Cancer Patients
Two of the most common chemotherapy side effects are nausea and vomiting. It’s vital to find effective ways of dealing with these unpleasant symptoms because they sometimes prevent successful completion of treatment. Instead of using antiemetics which have a lot of side effects of their own, massage therapy can be used to help reduce these side effects in cancer patients. This is a unique and little-known benefit of massage therapy.
4. Improve Balance in Older Adults
By incorporating massage therapy into the care routines of older adults, it helps to treat chronic pain in the shoulders, knees, and other joints. This, in turn, leads to improved balance, stability, and posture which helps to decrease falls experienced by older adults.
5. Massage Relieves Migraines
The next time you experience a migraine, simply get a massage instead of reaching for the prescription pills. A single session will help you immediately feel better, and regular massage therapy will help to decrease both the frequency and severity of chronic tension headaches over time.
Conclusion
As you have seen, regular massage therapy can do so much more than just relieve stress and help you relax. It also counteracts a lot of negative effects experienced by your body on a daily basis and helps to improve your overall quality of health.
