It’s no secret that people feel stressed, and we all have our ways of dealing with it. In fact, around 75% of Americans report feeling stressed within the last month.
Luckily, there are plenty of healthy ways to reduce your stress levels and receive plenty of other benefits, like with massage! Let’s talk about the different massage body treatments and their benefits!
Massage Body Treatments For Different Needs
Massage works by relaxing muscle tissues through specific movements tailored to your anatomy. This helps your body by reducing painful contractions or spasms, alleviating muscular tension, and even reducing nerve compressions.
There are so many different massage styles to choose from that may fit your needs. For example, an expecting mother will likely choose a prenatal massage, an athlete will benefit most from a deep tissue massage, and you may benefit from something completely different. Popular massage options include:
- Hot stone
- Deep tissue
- Swedish
- Prenatal
- Full-body
The list goes on. Whether you want a massage for stress, athletic performance, or as part of a physical therapy treatment, there are plenty of benefits you should expect. Here are some examples.
1. Stress Relief
No matter what type of massage you decide to get, massage is known for its relaxation and stress reduction. Sure, a deep tissue massage may not feel as relaxing as a Swedish massage, but the lasting stress reduction is the same.
Cortisol, known as the “stress hormone”, and lactic acid buildup in the muscles cause high levels of tension and stress. Massage is a great way to decrease that buildup and relax your body.
According to some research, massage even helps to alleviate anxiety and depression, especially when received on a regular basis.
Not only that, but a decrease in stress could also help alleviate headaches, stomach pains, and other common ailments. In many cases, people don’t know that these ailments are directly caused by stress until they are gone!
The benefits of stress reduction alone deserve its own article. However, if stress relief is your primary goal, then a full-body massage is the best option. If you are pregnant, a prenatal massage will also help alleviate stress, which will only help your baby’s health!
However, you can’t go wrong when it comes to stress relief in massage. Even hot stone massages will work wonders on your stress levels! Just remember, the way to maximize these benefits is with regular sessions!
2. Muscle Recovery
Do you have muscle pain, stiffness, or soreness? Massage will help with that.
Whether you’re an athlete, construction worker, or if you find yourself sitting for too long, your muscles will develop tension over time. Massage increases circulation and allows for better blood flow through your muscles, which helps with recovery.
Some research even suggests that massage therapy is one of the best solutions for chronic back pain, which affects as much as 80% of adults in the US.
If muscle recovery is your aim, then deep tissue massage is the best option for you!
3. Help With Posture
If you’re like most Americans, you probably do a lot of sitting during the day. Well, your body isn’t exactly meant to do that, which is why posture suffers so often.
Muscles often tense when kept in the same position for a long time. For example, a common reason for slouching posture is that the pectoralis minor, located on the side of the chest, shortens and pulls your shoulders forward.
Certain massages will alleviate some of this tension and help you counteract some of the worst effects of sitting or any awkward positions you find yourself in throughout the day.
Corrective massage or deep tissue massage will be the best for this effect, but you should ask your massage therapist for help with that specific issue.
4. Helps Your Immune System
In the age of Covid, we could all use any immunity boosters we can get. The increased blood flow, the oxytocin, and the increase in white blood cells help to boost your immunity, especially with regular massage sessions.
Certain types of massages will even help to drain your lymphatic system, specifically the lymph nodes, which play a huge role in your overall immune system.
Excess stress will deteriorate your immune system over time, so reducing stress through massage will also help improve immunity.
Massage will also help with getting quality sleep, which will also have a positive impact on muscle recovery, stress reduction, and your immune system.
5. Skin Benefits
When you get a massage, you will receive the added benefit of moisturizing and gentle exfoliation of your skin. Your massage therapist will use a gentle lotion or oil that helps keep your skin hydrated and the light friction from their hands will help to exfoliate your skin, leaving it looking new and refreshed!
While this isn’t the primary benefit of massage, if you want to maximize these effects, then a full-body massage is the best way to go.
6. Digestive Health
Stress takes a large toll on the digestive system, and unhealthy guts are more common than you may realize. The parasympathetic nervous system plays a large role in digestive health, and the relaxation and stress reduction from a massage will only improve its function.
Get A Massage Today!
Now that you know what massage body treatments can do for you, there’s no time like the present to try it out! If you’ve never had a professional massage done before, then you’ll get to experience these benefits and more for the first time! Stay up to date with our latest news and feel free to contact us to book an appointment!
