Have you considered having a massage? It seems like a good way to pamper yourself. But did you know a massage can also be very beneficial? Below are six benefits to having a massage.
1. It can Help With Stress Relief
Stress will be related directly to a lot of health issues in your life, like migraines, and even more serious things, such as cancer. When you manage stress, it will likely mean that you’re preventing disease and other physical problems.
When you are dealing with stress, hormones are released by the body such as cortisol and adrenaline to help us with reacting to that situation. But this reaction often comes at times that aren’t necessary or go for a long time, so it’s hard for you to relax.
Massage helps with releasing essential endorphins such as dopamine and serotonin, and these can help you with calming down. They’re there to help you feel good.
2. It can Make You Take Fewer Painkillers
There are a lot of people who have died due to overdose from prescription painkillers. In fact, more of them have died due to that than cocaine and heroin. The estimate is that approximately 45 people die when they’re misusing or abusing prescription painkillers each day.
Based on the CDC, for each of these overdose deaths there are:
- 10 admissions for abuse treatment
- 32 visits to the ER for abuse or misuse
- 130 individuals who are dependent on or abusing prescription painkillers
- 825 people taking the prescription painkillers without a medical reason
When you are getting a massage, it will help with pain management and stress management. It’s not even close to being dangerous like taking prescription medication and even if it’s not prescription strength, taking OTC medicines for pain can help consequences to your health when they’re misused.
A study is cited by WebMD which shows that massages reduce the need for someone to take a painkiller by 36%. It can help with a lot of types of pain, such as serious conditions, like fibromyalgia and arthritis.
3. Athletes can be Helped by Massage
Sports massage is something that a lot of athletes use to help with their performance. Pitchers, quarterbacks and boxers all get rub downs before their games and after.
It can be highly important when it comes to the health regimen of an athlete and can help with their performance. It will promote flexibility and it can help with preventing injuries to muscles. It also helps with relieving muscles that have been strained and improving the time needed for recovery after an injury from sports.
It’s also something that has been used for thousands of years. This type of massage was used by Hippocrates as early as 400 B.C.
4. It Can Benefit Pregnant Women
Pregnant women are another group who can benefit from having a massage. Regularly having massages during your pregnancy can help you recover quicker when you have your baby. When you’re in labor, it can also help you when your partner massages you.
There are a lot of changes that a woman goes through during her pregnancy and after. Having a massage often can help with relieving swelling in her limbs while helping reduce joint, nerve and muscle pain.
Having massages also can help with regulating and balancing her hormone levels. That’s why it’s also helpful during premenstrual syndrome and when going through menopause. It helps with relaxing her and putting her in a more positive mood.
After you’ve had a baby, having a massage can help with reducing scarring and stretch marks. It can help with any kind of scarring – it’s not just for women who are pregnant or who have had a baby.
If you’re going to have a massage while you’re pregnant, it’s a good idea to look for one who’s certified with prenatal massage.
5. It Can Help Relieve Depression and Anxiety
Besides with helping with your physical health, it also can help with improving your mental health as well.
Psychological problems like depression and anxiety are often due to higher levels of cortisol. A lot of studies have indicated that massage will help with combating these kinds of issues since it reduces the cortisol levels and increases those neurotransmitters which can help with combating depression.
A lot of times a psychological issue will manifest itself in a physical way. Consider the things your body often does when you’re sad. You often feel weak and achy and your shoulders are drooping. You’re dragging your feet and you’re slumping over. These problems are called structural collapses by massage experts and it often happens when we’re down.
Massage often addresses a lot of symptoms we have because of depression or anxiety. It can also help with lowering levels of blood pressure, alleviating tough headaches, improving breathing, and helping your nerves, among others.
6. It can Help You With Looking Younger
A lot of people turn to Botox when they want to look younger. But there’s a better way to do it that doesn’t involve needles. A relaxing facial massage can help with you looking more beautiful, healthier and younger.
Having your face massaged will help with relaxing the muscles in your face. This helps with softening your expression, which includes the unattractive lines you often get from squinting and scowling.
Gucci Westman, a makeup artist, has said that she will often give the fashion models a facial massage prior to them walking down a runway. Another good person to have facial massages are talk-show hosts on early morning shows since they’re often puffy and not really awake. It’s similar to coffee for your skin because it will simply come to life.
Because a massage will improve circulation in your skin, it can also help with you having an appearance that is more radiant. When you have good circulation, it will help you to glow.
Some conditions of the skin, like Rosacea, are often aggravated by or connected to elevated levels of stress. Since massage can help with relieving stress, it might also help with certain skin conditions.
As you can see, these are six good reasons to have a massage. Of course, the best reason of all is because it simply makes you feel great. If you are looking for a way to relax, get a massage today.
About Omni Balanced Life Center
Omni Balanced Life Center houses a unique blend of practitioners offering treatments and services designed to bring about a complete transformation in the areas of mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Each is an expert in their field of study bringing the latest information available in all areas of physical and spiritual medicine. Schedule an appointment online or contact our office at 239-234-1608.
