You know that massage is good for you, whether you’ve had one in the past and enjoyed the positive effects or you’re just curious about whether a massage therapist’s healing touch could help sort out your aches and pains.

So, what’s stopping you?

We have 10 reasons right here that will inspire you to visit your massage therapist today…

Massage helps to treat some health conditions

Massage therapy can help with several common health conditions, some that you might already know about and others that may come as a surprise to you. If you suffer with constant back, leg and neck pain; muscle tension and spasm, a good massage will send you on the route to feeing relief.

Some musculoskeletal conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome can also be helped by massage, as can the symptoms of chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, arthritis and some digestive disorders.

Massage can help to improve circulation

Massage therapy is great for boosting blood circulation, which helps to deliver oxygen and nutrients around the body more efficiently.

Massage can increase lymphatic flow

Your lymphatic system is a system of tubes and lymph nodes running throughout your body which make up an important part of the immune system. It helps to fight bacteria and other infections, and a healthy lymph flow also helps clear toxins from your body.

Massage can speed up post injury healing

If you’ve overdone it or hurt yourself accidentally you’ll be glad to know that massage doesn’t just help reduce muscle soreness and stiffness, it can also break up scar tissue, freeing up movement and enhancing your recovery.

Massage can help to increase your range of motion

Another thing that a great massage therapist can do is use techniques that stimulate the production of lubricants between connective tissues, which improves flexibility and balance.

Massage can help you to improve your posture

Massage helps to train your muscles, which improves the posture of your body as well as correcting any imbalances caused by sitting for long periods – which are common in people who sit at a desk all day.

Massage can give your immune system a boost

Massage is known to boost production of lymphocytes – the white blood cells which help fight off disease. Although a massage can’t guarantee you’ll never get another cold, there has been research that suggests it helps the body to fight infections and reduce the severity and duration of bugs and minor illnesses.

Massage can make you feel happier

The action of massaging the skin stimulates alpha brain waves, which are associated with relaxation, and promotes the release of endorphins – the body’s feel-good chemicals.

Massage can help you to de-stress

Massage is known to help reduce cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone, so elevated levels are not good for your body at all. At the same time, massage has been shown to boost serotonin and dopamine levels, making you feel more relaxed and happy.

Massage could give you a better night’s sleep

If insomnia is your bedfellow, try a massage. Massage can help to balance out your sleep pattern and overcome insomnia and the fatigue that goes with not getting enough sleep.

Have we convinced you to book that appointment yet?  CLICK HERE

Massage for back-pain relief

A regular massage is often considered to be a treat, rather than a necessity. Most people believe that having a massage is good for aches and pains, or can help if they’ve overdone the exercise. Not everybody realizes that massage therapy is also a powerful painkiller that can even be used to help people with back problems to reduce the amount of medication they must take.

Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain and if you’re one of the 31 million Americans who suffers with back pain at some point in their life, you’ll know how miserable it can be. If you are dealing with chronic back pain – which is pain that’s lasted more than three months and less than six – it can impact on your daily life, and stop you from doing things you want to do. You could be reliant on drugs to keep you mobile or help you sleep.

The vicious pain cycle

If you can no longer exercise pain-free, you might end up in a vicious cycle of inactivity which makes your pain worse, which stops you from being active. Or you could just increase your meds, but that just masks the problem. Also, some strong pain meds contain opioids like codeine which can lose their power over time as you build up a tolerance to their effects. They can also have unwanted side effects.

What you need is a way to manage your back pain that is effective but doesn’t have the side effects. Wouldn’t you know it, research has shown that regular massage along with your prescribed medication and any other advice from your healthcare supplier can be so powerful that you might be able to decrease the number of painkillers you need to manage your back pain and start to live a more active life.

How massage can help beat back pain

A massage session doesn’t just relax you, it can help to promote tissue repair, improve the blood circulation and does wonders for your stress levels and mood. Recent research showed that regular massage therapy combined with exercise helped people suffering from chronic back pain to feel less anxious about their condition too.  The study, which took place at a pain management clinic in Western New York, involved sixty chronic low back pain patients who were split into two groups. One group received regular massage therapy, twice a week for four weeks, along with their regular treatment, and one group only carried on with their prescribed treatments.

The participants all recorded their own pain levels before and after having massage therapy on a scale of one to ten. There was a significant difference between the pre-and post-treatment pain rating in the group that had regular massage, but the control group who carried on as normal reported no changes to their pain levels.

If you suffer from back pain and want to try something different – book that massage session now. Here is a link to our calendar: CLICK HERE

A spa day or a trip to your local massage center are great ways to get that lovely, relaxed feeling we all crave. With our busy lifestyles and never-ending to-do lists it can sometimes feel as if relaxation is some kind of unattainable goal, but there are plenty of ways that you can relax and step away from stress without having to go too far or spend too much.

Breathe Deeply

Have you tried breathing lately? Silly question but although we all do it, day in and day out, we don’t always recognise the healing properties of breath work. Just stop as you’re reading this, and take a long, deep breath to the count of 10. Stop, and exhale SLOWLY. The act of concentrating on your breathing slows everything down, and if you do this for just a few minutes you’ll be mastering a very basic meditation technique.

Meditate on Life

Talking of meditation, if you thought that it was all about Buddhist temples, incense and hours of silent contemplation, you’d be wrong. You can start a meditative practice by just being mindful – being aware of your surroundings, even your body. One good meditation if you have time is to focus on a part of your body at a time; for example, how do your toes feel right now? Relaxed or tense? Warm, cold? Are they enclosed in footwear or bare?  Work your way along your body, breathing slowly in and out as you go.

Take it further by using one of the many free visualization and meditation downloads available and spend a few minutes focussing on YOU.

Get a Massage

Massage and the power of touch are incredibly relaxing. Our bodies crave touch and human contact, or even contact with a pet. If you don’t have a pet or a pet human to give you a soothing back rub or relax your shoulders when you feel stressed out, opt for a quick massage in a spa or center with a professional. You should never have to go without a massage when you need one, and so find yourself a great massage therapist and relax with touch of their healing hands.

Get Outside

If you work indoors, chances are that you skip lunch and don’t get outside anywhere near nature for most of your working day? The outdoors is a natural relaxant and getting some green space is a sure-fire way to calm down any stressful feelings. If you live or work near a park, beach or river, get yourself down there as often as possible and breathe in that fresh air. Beaches are especially good for calming and de-stressing, plus the sound of the waves and effects of the negative ions in the air really have a positive effect on many people.