Therapeutic massage involves the manipulation of the soft tissue of the body to prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasm, stress and to promote health and wellness. Massage therapy improves functioning of the circulatory, lymphatic, muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems and may improve the rate at which the body recovers from injury and illness.
Massage can help reduce the heart rate, lower blood pressure, increase blood circulation and lymph flow, relax muscles, improve range of motion, and increase endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. Therapeutic massage enhances medical treatment and helps people feel less anxious and stressed, relaxed while at the same time more alert.
According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) the benefits of therapeutic massage are:
- Helps relieve stress, reduce anxiety and aids relaxation
- Promotes a relaxed state of mental alertness
- Helps relieve muscle tension and stiffness
- Fosters faster healing of strained muscles and sprained ligaments
- Reduces pain and swelling & reduces formation of excessive scar tissue
- Reduces muscle spasms
- Provides greater joint flexibility and range of motion
- Enhances athletic performance
- Promotes deeper and easier breathing
- Improves circulation of blood and movement of lymph fluids
- Reduces blood pressue
- Helps relieve tension-related headaches and effects of eyestrain
- Improves posture
- Strengthens the immune system