Wellness massage is a type of manual therapy that focuses primarily on your health and well-being. It has been gaining popularity in recent years and is being offered in businesses, clinics, hospitals and even airports.
Regular massages have many benefits, from improved flexibility to better circulation. Let’s explore them!
Relaxation
We all know the feeling of going to a spa and getting a massage – it’s relaxing and indulgent. But did you know that a massage is not just a way to relax and unwind, but can also have a positive impact on your health?
A wellness massage focuses on your whole self. It can be done in a quiet setting with soft lighting, music and aromatherapy essential oils. It is not a corrective treatment, but a stress relief and feel good treatment.
It can reduce anxiety and stress by activating your parasympathetic nervous systems, which shuts down the fight or flight response to stress. It can also decrease the production of cortisol and boost levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which are associated with feelings of stability and a sense of well-being.
Stress can cause your body to release high levels of cortisol. This can have a number of adverse effects on your health. Regular massages can help reduce cortisol levels over time, which will allow you to feel more relaxed and ready to face any challenges in life.
Studies have found that a massage can improve your mood, relieve anxiety and fight depression. It can also increase your oxytocin levels, which give you emotional strength and make you feel more in touch with yourself.
This is especially beneficial for those dealing with stress in their lives, and those suffering from chronic pain. It can even help with side effects of chemotherapy and other treatments for cancer, which can often have a negative impact on patients’ mental and physical health.
A number of clinical trials have shown massages can improve mood, energy and sleep quality. It can also help you deal with nausea and headaches that are common symptoms of chemotherapy.
Depending on the type of massage you receive, your therapist will use different techniques to help soothe your nerves and muscles. This can include gentle kneading, long strokes and rhythmic rocking. Your therapist will pay special attention to any areas that require extra attention during your massage.
Stress Reduction
Stress is an inevitable part of life, but it can be harmful to your health. Stress can lead to high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and a decrease in energy.
Massage therapy can reduce stress by affecting your parasympathetic nervous systems. When your parasympathetic nervous is activated, it slows down your body’s fight-or flight response. Your heart rate and blood pressure will drop back to their normal levels.
The calming effect of a massage can also help to lower cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that causes stress and can lead you to heart disease. A 60-minute massage can reduce cortisol by up 30 percent
In addition to reducing stress, massage can also be used to treat anxiety and depression. Studies have shown that people with anxiety or depression often benefit from therapeutic massage. These sessions can be full-body massages or more targeted treatments to target areas that are most stressed.
Many massage therapists also use trigger point massages, which are specialized techniques to release tight muscles in a specific area of the body. The trigger point therapy foam roll or the hands of a massage therapist are used to apply pressure to the problem area.
A massage is beneficial for everyone, but it is especially beneficial for people who are under a lot of stress. The study found that massages resulted in significantly lower stress levels and higher heart rate variability (HRV), which is a measure of how fast the intervals between heart beats change.
Massage can also be a great way of preventing chronic pain and other conditions related to stress. According to a study, one in five adults have chronic pain in their bodies, and therapeutic massage can be an effective treatment for reducing the level of stress in those with chronic pain.
Increased Flexibility
Getting a regular massage schedule is one of the best ways to maintain flexibility and mobility. It can also improve performance and prevent injury by increasing circulation in muscles, connective tissues, and other body parts.
It’s important to stretch every day in addition to regular massage. This can be done on your own or as part of a regular massage session.
Before an exercise, it’s especially important to stretch and warm up your muscles. This will increase blood circulation and flush out lactic acids, which can build up and cause fatigue and pain during exercise.
Stretching can be done after an exercise to prevent injury and improve flexibility. For advice on the best way to do this, consult your massage therapist. They will be able to help you determine which stretches to do and how often.
Your muscles are constantly in tension when you’re active. They can develop tightness and knots that reduce flexibility. Regular massages can help to alleviate this problem and allow your muscles to be more flexible due to the release these knots.
Flexibility can be increased through myofascial release, a technique that aims to break down hardened fascia and improve movement. Fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue that surrounds and provides structure to the body’s joints. When an injury occurs, the fascia can become hardened and restrict movement.
Myofascial release can be performed during a massage and involves applying a firm pressure to the treatment area to get deep into the layers of tissue. This raises the temperature of fascia, which allows the therapist to stretch it and loosen it, improving flexibility.
A massage has another benefit: it naturally flushes the body of toxins and waste products. These include lactic acid, and other byproducts of muscle contractions.
The lymphatic system is responsible for this process and it’s strengthened when the body receives regular massages. This natural function stimulates your lymphatic system, which in turn flushes out these toxins.
When you’re feeling less flexible, it may be a good idea to look at your daily habits and see what can be changed. It may be as simple as adding a few minutes of meditation to your routine.
Enhanced Immunity
Massage therapy is well-known for its many health benefits. It includes a variety physical benefits like improving coordination and increasing range of motion. It can also promote relaxation and stress relief, which can help the immune systems.
Your body’s primary defense against foreign invaders and disease is the immune system. It is composed of white blood cells, called lymphocytes. These cells are responsible for eliminating any threat to your health.
A recent study from Cedars-Sinai found that a single session of Swedish massage increases the number of lymphocytes in the body, which helps protect against diseases. The research team found that these lymphocytes are a good indicator of a healthy immune system.
Massage can also help improve your immunity by reducing stress-related cortisol levels. Higher levels of cortisol can destroy the natural killer cells that protect your body from a wide variety of illnesses.
A study of HIV-positive gay men found that regular massage sessions for a month reduced cortisol levels in their bodies. This was accompanied with an increase in natural killer cells and a decrease of anxiety and depression.
Several studies have also shown that breast cancer patients have improved immune and neuroendocrine function after receiving massages. This includes an increase of serotonin, dopamine and NK cells.
Other ways to boost your immunity include a lymphatic drainage massage (which stimulates the flow of lymph fluid through the body) and reflexology, which involves applying pressure to specific points on the feet with the goal of stimulating circulation and improving nerve function.
You can also get a cold or flu season treatment at a spa like Eco Chateau, California. This spa offers an infrared therapy sauna that can increase your immune function. This treatment also has the added benefit that it improves sleep, which is crucial for immune health.
Wellness massage is a great way to support your body’s immune system, so it’s important to schedule regular sessions. This will give your immune system what it needs to keep you healthy and prevent disease, especially during times of illness or high stress.