The Many Benefits of Massage Therapy

At Family Acupuncture & Wellness we believe that your body isn’t a set of seperate systems, but instead functions as a whole entity. Yes, you have a circulatory system and a nervous system, but all of those systems are connected and interdependent. 

This informs our staff’s approach to your care. We want to help you achieve a state of optimal health - the healthiest state that you can achieve. Very often, that means various types of maintenance treatments to make sure all those systems continue to work as one. 

Massage is usually considered a luxurious spa treatment, but the truth is there are many proven health benefits associated with massage, making it more therapeutic than luxurious in nature. In this post, we outline some of the benefits of massage as a therapy. 

But first, what is massage? 

Massage is defined as “The act or art of treating the body by rubbing, kneading, patting, or the like, to stimulate circulation, increase suppleness, relieve tension, etc.” But, as you know, there are lots of different types of massage, and some are very targeted to achieve specific results. 

The kind of massage that’s usually associated with relaxation is Swedish massage. There are also modalities for helping patients who have arthritis or other types of joint pain, people who have migraine, treating chronic pain, or to help people who have difficulty sleeping, along with many others. 

Benefit 1: ease stress and anxiety

Modern life is stressful. We’re all pressed for time, most of us have financial woes, raising children is difficult, and everything feels rushed. Stress has well-documented negative effects on your health. 

Regular massage therapy can help reduce stress and ease anxiety. It may even help with pain you don’t realize you have! 

Benefit 2: improve mobility and range of motion

You may be surprised by just how much regular massage can help improve your movement. You may find that you can turn your head farther with less pain, or that your knees handle the stairs better. 

Massage relaxes your muscles, which allows them to function better, and can loosen soft tissues. 

Benefit 3: a drug-free treatment for many chronic conditions

Arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraine, and many other chronic conditions that cause pain can be successfully treated through massage therapy. If you have pain related to a chronic condition, we may be able to help! 

Benefit 4: better sleep 

Poor sleep is associated with numerous health conditions including obesity and cardiovascular disease. You need an adequate amount of good quality sleep. Unfortunately, if you’re like most American adults, that can be difficult. 

There are nearly innumerable reasons that can lead to poor sleep. Stress and chronic pain are two common reasons that people struggle to get enough good quality sleep. Massage can help. 

These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to good reasons to consider massage therapy as part of your regular health routine. If you’d like to learn more about massage and how it may benefit your health, book an appointment at Family Acupuncture & Wellness.

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