VI.
Benefits of Massage
Massage can help cut down on migraines.
If you’re frequently tortured by migraine pain, you might consider a massage. Researchers
found that those who suffered from debilitating headaches reported fewer migraines and
more restful sleep after receiving massage therapy for several weeks. The American Massage
Therapy Association has a handy tool to help find an MT near you.
Massage can help reduce pain from exercise.
Research indicates that massage therapy can reduce inflammation of skeletal muscle
damaged through exercise. A study by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and McMaster
University in Ontario, Canada found evidence that massage therapy may provide relief from
inflammation (which is often the reason behind post-workout aches and pains), similar to how
anti-inflammatory medication helps swelling go down.
Massage can make you look younger.
Massages stimulate blood flow, which is why regular gentle rubbing and kneading might keep
your face looking healthy and radiant. Skin care expert Kimara Ahnert told Women’s Health
that massage plumps slack skin, encourages lymphatic drainage (moves toxins out of cells so
nutrients can travel in), and adds vitality to a dull complexion.
Massage can help beat PMS.
A massage could banish mood swings, bloating, headaches, weight gain, and other PMS
symptoms, according to a study by the Touch Research Institute and University of Miami
Medical School. Researchers there found that regular massage sessions lessened symptoms
of premenstrual syndrome in women age 19 to 45.
Massage benefits chronic pain relief.
Sufferers of chronic soft tissue pain (arthritis, fibromyalgia, disc problems, degenerative
joints) can find relief after only a few massage therapy sessions, says Nancy M. Porambo,
licensed massage therapist with the American Massage Therapy Association. “My personal
experience working with clients suffering from [this type of pain] has been extremely
positive,” she says. “People … are surprised when they find relief through application of
specific massage therapy techniques.”
Massage can help treat side effects of cancer.
Researchers in Boston found that patients with metastic cancer reported better sleep, less
pain, and overall better quality of life after receiving massage therapy. Similarly, a 2004 study
at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City found that massage therapy
(Swedish, light touch, and foot massage) reduced symptoms like pain, nausea, fatigue,
depression, and stress in cancer patients.
Chair massage is a fully clothed massage performed by a therapist in a chair specifically
designed for massage. As the benefits of massage are realized, more businesses are offering
chair massage in the workplace as an employee incentive and health maintenance resource.