Each year, about one in four Americans get a massage.
Some people book a massage for pain relief, while others book their sessions simply to relax. These are two very valid reasons to get a massage, but they’re not the only ones.
The truth is that the benefits of deep tissue massage go (pardon the pun) much deeper than you might think. Keep reading as we explore five lesser-known benefits of massage therapy.
1. Reduces Postoperative Pain
Pain after an operation can delay and complicate a patient’s recovery, not to mention lengthening their stay at the hospital or rehab facility. For many people, prescription painkillers also create unpleasant side effects.
Research shows that massage can:
- decrease postoperative distress and pain intensity
- decrease sympathetic responses to pain
- increase feelings of calmness and well-being after surgery
Interesting side note: Research has also found that pregnant women who received regular massages before and during labor had less pain and shorter labors than women who did not receive massages.
2. Enhances Physical Performance
Want to become a better athlete? Getting regular deep tissue massages may help you become a better skier, cyclist, runner, or swimmer.
Here’s what massage can do for your physical performance:
- Reduce muscle tension and hypertonicity
- Increase range of motion and joint function
- Support the recovery of heart rate after high-intensity exercise
- Decrease muscle stiffness, fatigue, and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
- Reduce soft tissue and joint swelling
- Help prevent injuries
In other words, getting regular massages can lead to enhanced performance, improved conditioning, faster recovery, and injury prevention.
3. Boosts Cardiovascular Health
Can massage help your ticker? Absolutely!
For one thing, massage has positive impacts on your systolic, diastolic, and arterial blood pressure. Studies have found that the immediate effects of lower blood pressure can last up to 72 hours after your massage.
Massage also leads to improved blood circulation. It helps to cleanse congested areas and makes it easier for the heart to pump blood throughout your body.
4. Improves Sleep Quality
Massage can do wonders for the quality and duration of your sleep — and not just because it’s relaxing.
One study found that even a short 30-minute massage session reduces anxiety in child and adolescent psychiatric patients. Over the course of a week, the young patients were less anxious, more cooperative, and experienced increased nighttime sleep.
Another study explored the connection between fibromyalgia, massage, and sleep quality. Immediately after treatment and one month later, the fibromyalgia patients reported improved anxiety levels, quality of sleep, and duration of sleep.
5. Regulates Mood & Hormone Levels
You’ve undoubtedly noticed that you feel happier and less stressed after a massage, but why is that, exactly?
The main reason is that massage boosts your body’s production of serotonin and oxytocin, those natural “feel good” hormones. It also lowers cortisol levels (the “stress” hormones), producing feelings of calm and well-being.
It’s no wonder that medical experts agree that massage can be beneficial for anyone who struggles with anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other mood-related conditions.
Experience These Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage
Massage doesn’t just feel good. And it does more than help you to relax. As we’ve discussed, there are many other incredible benefits of deep tissue massage!
Are you ready to get on the table and experience these benefits for yourself?
Apres Massage & Facial in West Vail is open for the summer season and ready to welcome you for your next session. Give us a call at 970-445-2114 or book your massage online.