Most people decide to get a massage because they look for some relief from back pain. And indeed, massage therapy effectively helps relieve pain, whether it’s muscle pain, chronic pain, or even arthritic pain.
Regular massages increase blood flow and circulation, and they can help us relax when we are feeling stressed out. But what else can they do? If you have never gotten a massage before, there are many surprising benefits of massage therapy. These health incentives might convince you to book an appointment with a massage therapist right away.
Let’s learn about the seven surprising benefits of massage therapy:
Benefit #1: A massage can balance out the time you spend sitting at your desk.
If you spend many hours sitting in front of a computer screen day after day, you probably struggle with postural stress. Pain in your neck, shoulders, lower back, and glutes could all be caused by extended sitting.
The good news is that a massage can help balance out the time you spend sitting. Getting just one massage should help relieve the tension in your muscles, but you will enjoy more benefits if you have regular massage therapy treatments. Receiving one massage each week, for example, could allow you to keep working at your desk without any aches and pains.
Benefit #2: A massage can help improve your posture.
Sitting at a desk all day is not the only thing we do that can make us adopt a poor posture. Standing on your feet for long hours, lifting heavy objects, or simply looking down at your phone every 5 minutes can also cause pain and tension in your neck, shoulders and back.
Massages relax our muscles, relieve our pain, and allow us to adopt a better, pain-free posture. So if you have unsuccessfully tried to improve your posture, you should consider getting a massage.
Benefit #3: A massage helps improve your flexibility.
A massage can also help improve your flexibility. Your massage therapist will work towards breaking up any knots present in your muscular tissues, and as a result, your body will be able to move more freely.
But a massage will also help stimulate your body’s production of natural lubricants, which will keep your joints more fluid and mobile.
So if you have been suffering from stiff joints and articulations or sore muscles that restrict your movements, getting a massage should allow you to move without pain again.
Benefit #4: A massage can help relieve headaches.
Are you familiar with migraines and tension headaches? If so, it would be a good idea to know a massage therapist you can call for a last-minute appointment anytime your head is in pain.
By focusing on relaxing muscle spasms and trigger points in your head, neck and shoulders, a massage can help relieve headaches and migraines when they occur. Plus, regular massages could help decrease the frequency and intensity of tension headaches.
Benefit #5: A massage can relieve anxiety and depression.
Massages are also good for our mental health. Getting a massage can lower stress but also ease anxiety and depression.
Human touch can be therapeutic and calming. When you get a massage, your cortisol levels decrease, and your levels of serotonin increase. And since low serotonin levels are associated with depression, it’s easy to see how increasing your “happy hormone” levels can be a good thing to lift your mood and make you feel better.
Benefit #6: A massage encourages relaxation and sleep.
Getting a boost in your serotonin levels can also help improve the quality of your sleep. If you often struggle with insomnia, getting a massage could help you sleep longer and more soundly.
A massage will slow down your nervous system, calm your breath, and make you feel relaxed. It could even make you sleepy, so going back home after your massage to either go to sleep or take a short nap will make a lot of sense.
Benefit #7: Regular massages can help boost your immune system.
Another surprising benefit of massages is that they can help you boost your immune system. By encouraging relaxation and relieving stress and anxiety, a massage is a significant asset in taking good care of your mental health, beneficial to your physical health.
But it goes further than that. Massage therapy can efficiently increase your body’s levels of lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cells playing a major role in your immune system. More lymphocytes mean you are better equipped to fight off infections and diseases.
Massages also help your lymphatic system filter metabolic waste and move nutrients through your body by increasing your lymphatic flow. As you can see, getting a massage is a great way to pamper yourself, but it also has many benefits for your overall health and well-being.
