Lisa Miller Client Service Practice Leader View Bio

The Health Benefits of Massage

Massage provides relief to people of all ages and from all walks of life—competitive athletes to home gardeners to overworked executives. As a therapy, massage addresses a variety of health conditions, the most prevalent being stress-related tension, which is believed to contribute to many illnesses and diseases.

Health Benefits

Massage involves the manipulation of your muscles and other soft tissues. It helps to release chronic muscular tension and pain, improve circulation, increase joint flexibility, reduce mental and physical fatigue and stress, promote faster healing of injured muscular tissue, improve posture and lower blood pressure.

How it Works

Massage is a drug-free and non-invasive treatment approach based on the body’s natural ability to heal itself. It helps relieve stress and tension that can lead to disease, illness and injury. Massage works by increasing your circulation, thereby allowing your body to pump more oxygen and nutrients to its vital tissues and organs. It also stimulates your lymphatic system, which is your body’s natural defense against infection.

Types of Massage

There are many different types of massage. Techniques vary depending on theory and origin. For instance, Eastern massage techniques—Shiatsu, Reiki and Reflexology—focus on the body’s energy and energy flow. These techniques generally deliver an emotional or spiritual effect. Western massage therapy techniques—including Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage and Sports Massage, focus on the anatomical understandings of the body. These techniques deliver stronger physical effects, such as pain relief.

Important Information

Whichever technique interests you, be sure to check with your doctor before receiving any type of massage therapy for the first time. There are some people with certain medical conditions that massage therapy is not recommended for. In addition, your massage practitioner should always ask you about your specific health conditions before performing any type of massage therapy. In some cases, the practitioner may even require permission from your doctor before providing services.