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The Benefits of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is good for the body, mind and soul. It has been shown to address serious health issues by relieving the symptoms associated with a variety of conditions, including:

• Back Pain:  A 2003 study showed that massage therapy produced better results and reduced the need for painkillers by 36 percent when compared to other therapies. Today, massage therapy is one of the most common ways people ease back pain.

• Migraines:  In a recent study, massage therapy recipients exhibited fewer migraines and better quality sleep during the weeks they received massages and the three weeks following than did participants that did not receive massage therapy. Another study found that in adults with migraine headaches, massage therapy decreased the occurrence of headaches, sleep disturbances and distress symptoms. It also increased serotonin levels, believed to play an important role in the regulation of mood, sleep and appetite.

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:  A 2004 study found that carpal tunnel patients receiving massages reported significantly less pain, reduced symptoms and improved grip strength than those patients who did not receive massages.

• Anxiety: A review of more than a dozen studies concluded that massage therapy helps relieve depression and anxiety by reducing the stress hormone cortisol by up to 53 percent. Massages also increased serotonin and dopamine, as well as neurotransmitters that help reduce depression.

• Side Effects of Cancer:  Cancer patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center reported reduced levels of anxiety, pain, fatigue, depression and nausea after receiving massage therapy, even up to two days later. In another study, breast cancer patients who were massaged three times a week reported lower levels of depression, anxiety and anger, and had an increase in “natural killer” cells and lymphocytes that help battle cancerous tumors.

• Blood Pressure:  Preliminary research shows that hypertensive patients who received three 10-minute back massages a week experienced a reduction in blood pressure, compared to patients who simply relaxed without a massage.

Massage therapy also increases circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs; stimulates the lymph system – the body’s natural defense against toxic invaders; and stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller. It can also reduce post-surgery adhesions and edema, as well as reduce and re-align scar tissue after healing has occurred.

For weekend warriors and other athletes, massages can relax and soften injured and overused muscles, reduce spasms and cramping and increase joint flexibility. It can also improve posture for those people that are less active.