About Massage Therapy

Beneficial Effects of Massage Therapy

• Massage Therapy Dilates blood vessels, improving circulation
• Massage Therapy increases number of red blood cells
• Acts as a cleanser, pushing along lymph and hastening elimination of waste
• Massage helps overcome fatigue products resulting from exercise or injury
• Improves muscle tone and helps prevent or delay muscular atrophy
• Massage can compensate for lack of exercise in persons who because of illness, injury or age are forced to remain inactive
• Can undo or prevent adhesion formation
• May have a sedative or stimulating effect on the nervous system
• Increases the excretion of fluids, nitrogen, inorganic phosphorous and salt in normal kidneys
• Massage helps eliminate edema of extremities
• Encourages the retention of substances necessary for tissue repair
• Relaxes muscle spasm and relieves tension
• Improves the circulation and nutrition of joints and hastens the elimination of harmful particles. It helps lessen inflammation and swelling in joints and so alleviates pain.

Massage therapy may benefit people with the following conditions:

Migraine Relief

Migraines, tension headaches, and sinus headaches are painful and can impact your quality of life. Migraine symptoms include pounding headaches, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light.

How Can Massage Help Me? The Touch Research Institute found that migraine sufferers that receive regular massage exhibited decreased migraine frequency, improved sleep quality, lower levels of perceived stress, and improved coping ability. The study also discovered that during the massage therapy sessions anxiety, heart rate, and stress hormone levels were decreased.

Pain Management

At some point in life we all experience pain. Anything from a bad mattress to a stomach ulcer can be the beginning of a life long struggle with chronic pain even after the physical problems are healed. Day-to-day living can be a battle when you are suffering from chronic pain.

Pain Management and Massage Therapy: A study at the Touch Research Institute was conducted where 158 patients were observed for 18 months while receiving massage to help treat their pain. About half of the study group experienced a 50% reduction in perceived pain, according to self reports. Seventy-two percent of these patients reported increased social activity and greater than 50% reported reduced intake of analgesic drugs after 12 months of treatment.