Massage

Reduces the Effects of Stress.

Up to 90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints such as headaches, backaches, neck pain, eyestrain, poor concentration, anxiety, depression, irritability, anger, high blood pressure, heart disease, ulcers, as well as physical and emotional exhaustion.

Massage therapy has an amazing effect on your body's nervous system. When your body's parasympathetic nervous system is activated, it counteracts your negative response to stress, relaxing muscle tension and allowing your heart rate, blood pressure, and circulation to return to normal.

Massage therapy also helps you become more aware of your body and your unconsciously held tension. As you become more aware of your body, you will begin to recognize tension as it builds during the day so that you can consciously release it before it can have a negative effect on your body.

Massage Relaxes Tense Muscles.

Muscles can become tight and ineffective for many reasons. Stress, injury, poor circulation, overuse, and misuse, can all cause you pain and discomfort as well as restrict your normal range of motion. When left unattended, these conditions can become habitual and hamper the quality of your everyday life.

Massage therapy stretches and loosens tight muscles, and connective tissue, breaking down and preventing further formation of adhesions, freeing your range of motion and reducing the dangers of fibrosis.

Massage Increases Blood Circulation.

Like a sponge that is squeezed, a tight muscle cannot hold much fluid nor can it allow much fluid to pass through it. This decreases your circulation of blood and increases the strain placed on your heart. Among the obvious problems that this can cause is feeling fatigued and sore, reducing your precious energy reserves.

Massage therapy releases contracted muscles and pushes venous blood toward the heart, thus easing the strain on this vital organ. This increase in circulation brings energy-producing nutrients and oxygen to your cells as well as carries away metabolic waste products that can make you feel listless and drained. In addition, massage therapy increases your body's oxygen carrying red blood cell count helping to bring even more oxygen to your body's cells.

Massage Decreases Chronic Pain.

Far too many of us face our daily lives with chronic pain due to injuries or illness. Massage therapy helps to decrease chronic pain in two ways. The first is that the trained touch of a massage therapist can activate nerve receptor signals along myelinated nerve fibers to temporarily block chronic pain signals from reaching the brain. The second is by the stimulated release of endorphins (the body's natural painkiller) into the brain and nervous system to reduce your feelings of pain and discomfort without the use of unnatural drugs.

Massage Strengthens The Immune System.

The lymphatic system is a major factor in your body's battle to ward off infection and heal injuries. The lymphatic flow is usually very sluggish in most people and especially so in those who have less active lifestyles. Massage therapy not only improves the circulation of blood and its vital nutrients, but also increases the circulation of lymph in your lymphatic system thus helping your body to fight off infection and speeding your recovery from injuries and illness.