Benefits Of Massage Therapy

What is Massage Therapy?
Massage Therapy is one of the few forms of medical treatment that can benefit the entire human body. To truly understand how Massage Therapy helps people, you must first appreciate the complex machine that is the human machine, 206 bones, and unimaginably complex nervous system that controls all of the muscles, a respiratory system that instantly provides oxygen for life and a circulatory system that delivers oxygen-filled blood and other nutrient to the billions of cells throughout the body.
How does Massage Therapy work?
Massage Therapy is a comprehensive intervention involving a range of techniques to manipulate the soft tissue and joints of the body.
The purpose of Massage Therapy is to prevent, develop, maintain rehabilitate or augment physical function or relieve pain.
It is a clinically oriented health option that achieves undeniable results in the relief of an array of discomforts stemming from stress, muscular overuse and many chronic pain syndromes.
Some of the general benefits of massage therapy may include:
- Physical relaxation
- Improved circulation, which nourishes cells and improves waste elimination
- Relief for tight muscles (knots) and other aches and pains
- Release of nerve compression (carpel tunnel, sciatica)
- Greater flexibility and range of motion
- Enhanced energy and vitality
- Some clinical styles may help heal scar tissue as well as tendon, ligament, and muscle tears
What specific conditions can massage therapy help?
Massage therapy may help the body in many ways. Massage can relax muscle tissue, which may lead to decreased nerve compression, increased joint space, and range of motion. This may lead to reduced pain and improved function.
Massage therapy may also improve circulation, which enhances the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to muscle cells and helps remove waste products. These circulatory effects of massage may have value in the treatment of some inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis or edema (an excessive accumulation of fluid in body tissues, which may be reduced using manual lymph drainage).
Massage therapy is also thought to induce a relaxation response, which lowers the heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure; boosts the immune system; and generally decreases the physical effects of stress.