6 Great Benefits Of Massage Therapy

When you picture lying in a tranquil room, on a massage table, and minutes from an hour-long massage brings to mind a perfect vision of relaxation. The lights dimmed, gentle music, and the slight scent of essential oils can be the perfect way to unwind and be pampered. But did you know that massage therapy is becoming a more and more recognized treatment option for those looking to reduce stress, ease pain, increase circulation, improve posture, and improve sleep?

1. Reverse the effects of stress. Studies have found that stress affects every part of your body and can be linked to headaches, fatigue, stomach problems, and difficulty sleeping. Massage therapy can help undo some of the body's reactions to stress. This includes relieving muscle tension, lowering cortisol levels, reducing heart rate and blood pressure, and increasing "feel good" endorphin levels.
2. Lifts your mood. During times of high-stress, you can be left feeling anxious, foggy, and highly irritable.  Whatever effect stress has on your mood, a massage is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable ways to let your daily stress simply disappear. Massage has a direct impact on lowering the levels of stress hormones that create the “fight-or-flight” response and can boost neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin that make you feel better.
3. Ease chronic pain or injury. Massage therapy can also help patients manage the pain and stress of chronic health issues. Including, but not limited to, including joint pain, sports injuries, soft tissue injuries, digestive disorders, and even hard-to-manage conditions like fibromyalgia.
4. Massage therapy leads to a healthier heart. Research has shown that regular massage therapy helps lower blood pressure and heart rate, reducing the strain on your heart and helping you maintain a healthier circulatory system. Routine massage therapy sessions have even been found to reduce blood pressure levels. As a result, lower blood pressure levels can also decrease the risk of heart attack, stroke, and/or kidney failure, as well as many other health issues.
5. Improves circulation. The long-term benefits of massage therapy shouldn't be underestimated. Improved circulation is part of a cascading effect that occurs in the body when receiving regular massage therapy on a consistent basis. This is because proper circulation brings damaged, stiff, and tense muscles the rich blood supply they need to promote healing. Massage promotes improved circulation via the use of hands-on pressure. This pressure helps move the blood through the damaged and congested areas of the body.
6. Improves posture. Sitting in front of a computer all day or standing on your feet enduring hours of manual labor can cause tension in the neck and back. This can result in poor posture. Massages can help the body to reinforce healthy and natural movements. Your muscles can relax and loosen with a massage and allow your body to position itself in a natural pain-free posture

Chiropractic and massage therapy used in tandem can provide a complete and efficient system of treatment. Whatever your physical problems may be, the combination of these two types of care together can increase your overall quality of life and help maintain optimum health for patients. Chiropractic works with massage therapy well because of the relaxation factor. After a massage, a chiropractic patient is more relaxed and less anxious. This allows the chiropractor to better adjust the joints and spine. Relaxed muscles also keep the alignment achieved for a longer period of time.

Massage therapy is a treatment approach that is growing in demand and popularity. At one time, massage therapy was considered an alternative approach.  Massage Therapy is now becoming much more accepted as a common treatment option with many health benefits