Many people believe massage therapy to be a frill—the type of treatment you get from a spa when you’re indulging in some self care. And while they’re right in some ways—massage therapy is a great way to pamper yourself —this perspective ignores the full scope of what massage can do for the body.
In reality, massage therapy plays an important role in your overall wellbeing by treating sore muscles, circulation issues, and mental blocks. Anyone, no matter their lifestyle, can benefit from a regular massage, but here are five specific reasons if you need convincing.
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1. You’re Stressed
With the way the world is today, it’s hard not to feel a little anxious. Between bad news gracing daily headlines and your own personal struggles with family and work, the stress of life can wear you down.
If you’re feeling emotionally exhausted, regular massage can help you regulate stress. Studies show hands-on therapy can boost your levels of endorphins, the feel-good hormone that makes you happy.
2. You’re in Pain
Headaches, muscle strain, and arthritis are just some of the conditions that massage therapy can help treat. Therapeutic massage reduces pain by increasing blood flow to sore, stiff muscles. Besides melting away tension, massage also stimulates nerve fibres that might disrupt pain messages travelling from the brain.
The great thing about this therapy is that it’s for everyone, whether you’re dealing with chronic pain or just a flare-up after working out too hard.
3. You’re Sedentary
Nothing good comes from being hunched over the computer during your 9–5 job. You can start to carry tension after sitting so long, and this can cause poor posture and pain, even when you’re off the clock.
A massage therapist can help undo the damage your desk job has done, working soft tissue to relieve pain and relax tight muscles.
Massage therapy is also a huge component of palliative care for those chronically ill people who can’t leave their beds.
In Toronto, where the at-home palliative care movement is gaining popularity, therapeutic massage is championed as a way to relieve the stress and pain that comes with being ill and confined to a bed. Caregivers choose at-home palliative care in Toronto because it increases the person’s quality of life at such a distressing moment.
4. You Have Reduced Mobility
Aging, accidents, injuries, illness, and poor posture can limit the free range of motion in your joints and muscles. It can be a mild twinge that keeps you on the couch for a day while you recover, or it can be a lifelong issue that makes everyday activities challenging.
Therapeutic massage is a great idea for anyone with reduced mobility since it promotes blood flow and reduces tension.
5. You Have Trouble Sleeping
If you toss and turn every night, consider booking an appointment soon. Massage therapy offers a drug-free way of getting some Zs, for many of the reasons previously mentioned. Not only does it help you relax before bed, but it also reduces pain from chronic conditions and treats anxiety.
On top of that, hands-on therapy helps boost the production of serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for melatonin, which prepares the body for sleep.
Bottom Line
If you need a reason to book your first appointment, any of the ones shared here today work. But let’s be honest — you don’t need an excuse to enjoy the benefits of massage.
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