10 Health Benefits Of Massage

Massage and chiropractic care make a great pair to help you reach your health goals. Both are great treatment methods for relieving pain, increasing mobility, and achieving overall health. When used together, these treatments extend the health and wellness benefits of each other. Massage therapy deals with the muscle tissues, where chiropractic care focuses on the nervous system.

Some would say that they really do need each other. Muscle tension around the spinal column can subluxate the nerves and cause dis-connection from the brain to the rest of the body. Improving this can improve your overall health in a variety of ways:

1. Healthy Nervous System- as previously mentioned, massage take away the tension that is dissolved in your nerves. This allows re-connection with vital systems throughout the body for it to function optimally. This leads to ongoing health benefits after you leave the massage table.
2. Increased Blood Circulation-The massaging sessions help the blood to carry the necessary amounts of oxygenated blood throughout the body at an improved speed.
3. Healthy Urinary and Digestive System-Next time you’re clogged up and a bowel movement just isn’t happening, apply a little gentle pressure to your perineum, the patch of skin separating your testicles from your anus. A 2014 study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that constipated study subjects who massaged this area when they felt the urge to go reported improved bowel function and softer stools.
4. Skin Care- Not only will it help with your digestion system and reducing stress, but this in-turn will help regulate hormones, increase circulation, and provide those who hold regular sessions with a glowing complexion.
5. Anxiety- Research shows that regardless of where you carry tension, studies have shown that massage increases your body’s levels of oxytocin and serotonin, which results in lowered stress. This feeling of relaxation can in-turn lower your blood pressure and brighten your mood, which can significantly help anxiety.
6. Relieve Lower Back Pain- Up to 80 percent of U.S. adults experience lower back pain — but that number could be significantly reduced if they gave massage a try. Research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2011 found that a weekly massage for 10 weeks relieved patients’ lower back pain and improved functioning at least as effectively as medication and exercise. The upside is that massage has no side effects, unlike meds. The effects continued to last up to 3 months after the study ended.
7. Reduce Stress- Massage decreases production of the stress hormone cortisol. A study from the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine lends support to this and more. The research showed that not only did levels of cortisol drop after participants were treated to a 45-minute moderately intense massage either once or twice a week, but levels of oxytocin surged. Oxytocin is the so-called “love” hormone that promotes feelings of trust and connection.
8. Increased Immunity- Massage increases levels of immune-boosting cells known as ‘killer cells’ for their ability to fight the bacteria and viruses that can infect you. Massage also keeps you from calling in sick another way too. Remember, massage reduces stress levels, and people who are stressed out are at a higher risk of coming down with an illness.
9. Helps Insomnia- Massage reduces muscle tension, calms your heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and eases stress. This allows people to get out of the “fight-or-flight” nervous system response and allows the parasympathetic nervous system take over. This allows the body to slow down its system, and makes you more likely to fall asleep at night.
10. Helps relieve headaches- Most know this type of headache- the kind where you have pressure anywhere on the head.  Research backs this up: Scholars writing in the American Journal of Public Health found that the frequency and duration of tension headaches were reduced via two 30-minute massages of head and neck muscles each week for a month.

Along with the additional benefits of massage paired with chiropractic work, your nervous system will be humming along at 100%, allowing you to enjoy your life to maximum capacity. Call to schedule your massage today! 701-364-2673