Does Massage Therapy Really Improve Physical and Mental Health?

For many people, a massage is just another way to relax and unwind at the end of a busy period. For this reason, massage therapy is sometimes mistaken or misconceived as a simple luxury or pleasure rather than a proven aide that can significantly improve physical and mental health.

But does massage therapy really work?

Let's take a quick look at some potential risks and benefits associated with massage therapy.

As you may know, the purpose of massage therapy is to relax soft tissues, alleviate pain and increase the flow of oxygen and blood. With this in mind, massage therapy is recommended by doctors as an aide for people that suffer from joint pain, sports injuries or less obvious pains such as sciatica.

But you've got to go back a few years to better understand the significance of massage therapy.

"Massage" refers to the manipulation of soft tissues in the body and this therapy is long established treatment that doctors prescribe to people who suffer from physical or mental health issues. In fact, massage therapy is one of the most primitive forms of therapy in the world and even referenced in ancient writings across far flung destinations including China, India, Egypt and Greece.

However, even some of the most certain theories have been disproved in recent times and some people are quite skeptical about the use of massage therapy. You see, massage therapy is often said to be little more than a distraction or a fleeting escape from physical or mental stress on the body. As if that's not enough, discomfort or minor injuries can happen during massage therapy, which is obviously the last thing anyone needs when trying to repair their mind or body.

But these injuries are unlikely to happen with an experienced massage therapist. What's more, there are countless studies and statistics to support the health benefits associated with massage therapy.

For instance, recent studies show that even a ten-minute massage can reduce muscle soreness after a physical activity. Also, the production of cortisol is largely responsible for stress related issues and this hormone is reduced significantly as a result of effective massage therapy.

In other words, massage therapy can not only alleviate pain but also help improve a range of mental health issues in the most non-invasive way possible. That is to say, massage therapy is usually an enjoyable process and certainly a lot more healthy and exciting than surgery or medication.

Final Thoughts

In many ways, the above mentioned discomfort or risk of injuries is not really worth a mention. After all, it's believed that only one in ten people report these minor issues in the first place. More notably, the potential benefits associated with massage therapy are much more common and then also far more likely to have a meaningful impact on the individual.

Moral of the story: There's a reason why massage therapy has been practiced for thousands of years and in spite of the skeptics, serious injuries are extremely rare as a result of massage therapy and the proven health benefits speak volumes.