Massage therapy is a type of medical care in which the patient’s soft tissues, such as their
muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue, are manipulated using light stroking
or deep pressure. Massage therapists have helped patients recover from problems such as
muscular overuse, trauma, and chronic pain and help reduce the physiological burden of stress.
Massage therapy uses several techniques to keep muscles stable and restore performance while
speeding up the healing process after an accident. The common types of massages include
Swedish, deep tissue, sport, and trigger point. Swedish massage focuses on making you feel
relaxed and energized. Deep tissue massage is used to help with various forms of muscle damage
after injury. Sports massage is used during sports activities to facilitate and treat injuries. Trigger
point massage focuses on relieving tight muscle fibers, which can be formed after an injury has
occurred.
A big misunderstanding a lot of people believe in is that massage therapy is only part of a spa
day experience. However, it is most commonly used to help patients reduce their stress levels
and provide pain relief. Massage therapy has been proven to benefit people who are suffering
from the following conditions: anxiety, depression, digestive disorders, headaches, insomnia,
nerve pain, scar tissue, sports injuries, and soft tissue strains, amongst many other illnesses and
conditions.
Furthermore, massage therapy can provide patients with various physical and mental benefits.
Physically, massage therapy can be used for medical treatment plans to help individuals return to
their daily activities. The physical benefits of massage therapy include improved circulation,
better quality of sleep, improved flexibility, strengthened immune system response, quicker
recovery times between exercises, decreased muscle stiffness, decreased pain and soreness,
amongst many other physical benefits.
Mentally massage therapy helps individuals feel less stressed, even if they are focused on using
massage therapy for their physical benefits. Some of the mental benefits include, lower stress
levels, more energy, an increased feeling of well-being, decreased anxiety, improved relaxation,
and an improved mood, amongst many other mental benefits.
Most individuals are dealing with issues relating to postural stress. Massage therapy can
counteract all the sitting you do throughout your day-to-day life. Postural stress tends to manifest
itself in the shoulders and neck. Specifically, desk workers have more advanced forms of
postural stress, displaying lower back and glute issues caused by sitting for long periods.
Massage therapy can counteract the imbalance that workers experience from sitting. As long as
you keep scheduling your massage sessions, you should be able to continue going to work and
sitting at your desk for a long time.
Sleep is a crucial aspect of maintaining healthy brain function and physical health. Massage
therapy encourages restful sleep and helps those who can’t maintain comfortable rest. Massage
therapy can help promote relaxation and sleep in patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation
therapy. As well as infants, helping them cry less and be less stressed. Overall, massage therapy
can have long-lasting benefits for patients who are seeking physical and mental support.