The Holidays are here and life often becomes really chaotic and stressful. It can be super hard to relax in the midst of the hustle and bustle. You can try relaxing with a spa day, cozying up by the fire, staying in bed all morning, and, of course, getting a massage. Not only is massage great for helping you relax, it has more therapeutic benefits, too.
The term “massage” itself actually encompasses a wide array of different types of massage, ranging from Swedish massage (the most common type) to massages that have a more targeted and specific purpose, like a deep tissue massage.
So if you’re thinking about booking with us, here are sone of the biggest benefits of massage.
Relieve Anxiety
If you suffer from anxiety, some suggest that a massage can actually help significantly reduce your symptoms. What we think is going on is it’s decreasing the sympathetic tone that we see with people with generalized anxiety disorder and increasing this sort of parasympathetic response. Your body actually has two different nervous systems: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. Your sympathetic is fight or flight. During a massage, however, your parasympathetic (or calming) response is increased, which results in a decrease in anxiety. Those effects of massage on decreased anxiety can actually be long-lasting!
Get Better Sleep
Have trouble sleeping or suffer from insomnia? Massage can actually help you sleep more deeply. Sleep is all related to how much activity there is in the nervous system. And when you get a massage, your nervous system itself actually slows down due to the pressure.
Plus, when you’re getting deeper, more restorative sleep, she says, that in turn reduces your levels of overall pain. So if you have any aches, massage will help with that too.
Fight Fatigue
We’ve all been there: You’ve been tossing and turning all night, work has been completely draining, and you feel like you don’t even have five minutes to take a deep breath. Some people get fatigued because they’re not sleeping enough, other people are getting fatigued because of some biological factors or stress. No matter what the cause of your fatigue is, one easy solution is getting a massage.
Boost Your Focus
Have trouble staying present in a meeting for more than 10 minutes or reading a book before bed? The effects of a massage will actually help improve your attention and ability to focus. That’s because, in order for you to best pay attention, your heart rate needs to be lowered. If you are not paying attention, it’s usually because your heart rate’s elevated and when you get your heart rate down, you’ll be more attentive.
Because a massage slows your nervous system, your heart rate is effectively slowed down, too. During a massage, your pressure receptors stimulate vagal activity, which stems from a nerve in your brain that leads to several different branches of the body, including the heart, says Field. So when you’re undergoing the pressure of a massage, it could decrease your heart rate, as well, which ultimately will improve your focus.
Heal Injuries
If you experience an injury or joint pain (especially if the problem is long-term or chronic), you’ll also have what are called soft-tissue restrictions, which cause knots or trigger points of pain. Massage therapists are getting rid of soft-tissue restrictions and increasing circulation. Those restrictions can, over time, lead to problems like joint decay or other ligament problems, so by actively massaging out those soft-tissue restrictions, you’re not only helping your current injury but also helping prevent other problems down the road. But the important thing when getting a massage for your injury is going to an experienced, licensed massage therapist who has extensive experience with injured patients. A good, licensed massage therapist will be able to assess which areas around the injury need a massage, and which areas are best to avoid.
Contact Us
Get in touch with us today to schedule an appointment or to ask any questions you might have. We would love to help you de-stress during the holidays! Reach out by filling out the contact form on our website.