Health Benefits of Massage
Massage can relieve tension in your muscles, and most people use
it for relaxation, relief of stress and anxiety, or to reduce muscle
soreness. Massage can also cause your body to release natural painkillers,
and it boosts your immune system.
While more research is needed to confirm the benefits of
massage, some studies have found it helpful for:
Anxiety: Massage reduced anxiety in depressed children and
anorexic women. It also reduced anxiety and withdrawal symptoms in adults
trying to quit smoking.
Pain: Pain was decreased in studies of people with fibromyalgia,
migraines and recent surgeries. Back pain also might be relieved by
massage. However, back pain study results have been contradictory, and
more research is required.
Labor Pain: Massage during labor appears to reduce stress and
anxiety, relax muscles and help block pain.
Infant growth: Massage encouraged weight gain in premature
babies and reduced the number of days they stayed in the hospital.
Children with diabetes: Children who were massaged every day by
their parents were more likely to stick to their medication and diet regimens,
which helped reduce their blood glucose levels.
Sports-related soreness: Some athletes receive massages after
exercise, especially to the muscles they use most in their sport or
activity. A massage might help increase blood flow to your muscles and may
reduce muscle soreness after you exercise.
Alcohol withdrawal: Massage during withdrawal from alcohol has
shown benefits when combined with traditional medical treatment by increasing
feelings of support, safety and engagement.
Immune system: People with HIV who participated in massage
studies showed an increased number of natural killer cells, which are thought to
defend the body from viral and cancer cells.
Cancer treatment: People with cancer who received
regularly-scheduled massage therapy during treatment reported less anxiety, pain
and fatigue.
Self-esteem: Because massage involves direct contact with
another person through touch, it can make you feel cared for. That special
attention can improve self-image in people with physical disabilities and
terminal illnesses. And using touch to convey caring can help children
with severe physical disabilities.