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| Massage Benefits •Massage benefits •Enhancing Your Health With Therapeutic Massage •Massage Therapy for Health and Fitness •What are the key benefits of massage therapy? Physical — Massage therapy is designed to stretch and loosen muscles, improve blood flow and the movement of lymph throughout the body, facilitate the removal of metabolic wastes resulting from exercise or inactivity, and increase the flow of oxygen and nutrients to cells and tissue. In addition, massage stimulates the release of endorphins — the body’s natural painkiller — into the brain and nervous system. Mental — Massage therapy provides a relaxed state of alertness, reduces mental stress and enhances capacity for calm thinking and creativity. Emotional — Massage therapy satisfies the need for caring and nurturing touch, creates a feeling of well-being and reduces anxiety levels. •Who can benefit from massage therapy? People throughout the life cycle — from the very young and very old to those in between — all find that a professional massage can have special applications suited for their needs. |
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“Researchers have estimated that 80% of disease is stress related. Soothing and relaxing massage therapy can help by counteracting stress effects.”
-Elliot Greene
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•What is chronic pain and how do I get rid of it? Research shows that stress is the most important identifier of who gets pain. Acute pain refers to current or short-term pain while chronic pain has hung on for 2-3 months and now involves the mind as well as the body. When pain lingers the natural result is the emerging negative emotions. When these emotions take root then fear, discouragement and anxiety lead the thoughts into physical tension and pain patterns. Evidence shows that a vast majority of pain is due primarily to muscle tension and physical deconditioning. Concerns about being damaged, along with other sources of stress and tension, are enough to cause and maintain your pain. Certain beliefs and emotional attitudes can cause you to unknowingly tense muscles and cause the pain you experience. People often use distraction as a means of avoiding difficult emotion. Worrying about pain can also serve to distract us. The concerns cause pain but also serve to distract us from noticing important underlying emotions that generate pain. Sometimes the pain appears to persist, in part, because it distracts us from thoughts and feelings that we would rather not face. © Back Sense |
