Stemming from ancient cultures that date back thousands of years, today’s deep tissue massage therapy and massage therapy for muscle aches and pains
soothe away stress and alleviate chronic pain and discomfort. This wonderful experience is not a luxury at all, it is a means to achieving health and wellness.
Just the very word “massage” seems to conjure up luxurious images of dimly lit rooms and soothing music. That feeling of relaxation, wellness and restoration is not all in your head. It is real, circulating throughout your entire system. The benefits of massage therapy are physical, emotional…and pretty much all encompassing.
Yes, there are many benefits to a massage, and many types of massages. For instance, there is a deep tissue massage, a trigger point massage and massages with facials. One of the most important types of massage is therapeutic massage.
Therapeutic massage works directly on the body’s soft tissue. It can be used to increase lymph and blood circulation, relax muscles, relieve tension and stress, and most of all, to ease muscle aches and pains.
Chronic muscle aches and pains are a primary reason that patients go to a therapeutic massage. In fact, health reasons such as injury rehabilitation, pain management, soreness and stiffness accounted for 54% of all American massages between July 2013 and July 2014.
Chiropractic offices produce the most referrals for therapeutic massage. 24% of patients are referred several times a month and 13% are referred once per week, with massage therapy for muscle aches and pains being the primary reason for the visit.
There are other groups of individuals who also benefit from therapeutic massage. Massage for healthcare workers, for instance, has been found to be highly effective. In addition, pre-hypertensive women have been shown to have their blood pressure effectively impacted from massage therapy. (This information comes from a study recently in The International Journal of Preventive Medicine.)
A fascinating aspect of this study revealed that the lasting benefits of massage therapy remained with the individual: the lower blood pressure readings that resulted from the massage session actually stayed at that lower level for approximately three days, or 72 hours.
Massages are highly popular among American adults. Between July 2013 and July 2014, for example, about 15% of people had at least one massage (as reported by a 2014 survey by the American Massage Therapy Association).
To sum up, with Americans having more massages, this incredible, natural practice continues to gain popularity. Just saying the word ‘massage’ is like exhaling a sigh. When you say the word ‘massage’ it seems to slow down your breathing…you’re beginning to relax already. This is the wonderful first step on your way to a feeling of health and well-being.
