The Benefits of Massage Therapy for Mental & Physical Health

If you’ve ever fractured your leg, you would probably think twice before skipping out on physiotherapy. If a doctor prescribes you medication when you’re ill, you understand the importance of taking the medication all the way through. Appointments like these have always been known to be essential for keeping a healthy physical body and mind. No one would bat an eyelash at you if you had to miss work for a doctor’s appointment, so why is there still so much stigma around massage therapy?

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Massage therapy has often been considered a luxury that few are only so lucky to indulge in on special occasions. How many times have you thought to yourself:

“It’s my mom’s birthday; I’m going to splurge and gift her a massage session!”

Or

“I’m going on vacation next month; I can’t wait to indulge in a nice massage at my resort.”

The advantages of massage therapy are often so overlooked that people view it as an excess. The fact of the matter is that there are so many benefits to massage therapy that can positively impact both your physical and mental health, why would anyone want to deprive themselves of that?

According to the American Massage Therapy Association, massage therapy has been proven to reduce anxiety in a number of conditions – including those with congestive heart failure, cancer patients, women in labour, psychiatric patients, and those with chronic pain and stroke patients. Research has also shown that massage therapy can reduce chronic depression and anxiety, and reduce acute stress for individuals with high-stress jobs, including nursing and military personnel.

The healing power of human touch has been proven to induce oxytocin release. Oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone,” promotes the feeling of well-being, self-acceptance and social bonding. Your body produces this hormone naturally, but certain activities such as hugging a loved one, giving or receiving a massage, and even playing with your dog can increase production. Studies have shown that this hormone’s release can relieve aches and pains, act as an antidepressant, reduce social anxiety while building trust and even increase generosity.

Many remote workers are also experiencing a substantial amount of postural stress due to a lack of proper ergonomics at home. Taking the time to care for all of that built up tension in your shoulders and neck is especially crucial during a time like this. One surprising benefit of massage therapy is that it will counteract the imbalance caused by sitting for long periods of time. A healing touch will also boost immunity, relieve headaches, improve sleep cycles and soothe depression and anxiety.

If massage therapy has been proven to improve overall health and wellness among ages, why does this stigma still exist? It could be the nature of today’s society, individuals often put the needs of others over their own, but the first step in improving self-care is recognizing that it’s ok to invest in yourself every once in a while. Especially if that investment is going towards your long-term health.