Massage therapy is a centuries-old practice that offers a long list of benefits for both body and mind.
From alleviating symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety to helping burn stubborn fat reserves, soothing sore muscles, and banishing cellulite, massages have proven to be a strong choice in promoting overall health.
Moreover, different massages are tailored to address specific health concerns, providing surprising benefits in areas such as lymphatic drainage, deep tissue manipulation, facial rejuvenation, scalp stimulation, and shiatsu techniques.
Keep reading to discover the wide-ranging and well-studied advantages of various massage therapies and delve into their profound effects on the body and mind!
The 5 Top Benefits of Massage:
Speedier Recovery from Soft Tissue Injuries:
Massage therapy can expedite healing for individuals recovering from soft tissue injuries by increasing blood flow to injured areas through targeted manipulation, reducing inflammation, alleviating pain, and promoting tissue regeneration.
Boosting Mental Alertness:
Massage therapy stimulates the body's sensory receptors, resulting in heightened mental alertness. Massages invigorate the mind by activating neural pathways, enhancing focus, and improving cognitive performance.
Aiding Recovery after Injuries and Surgery:
Following injuries or surgical procedures, massages can facilitate a quicker recovery. They help reduce postoperative swelling, alleviate discomfort, improve range of motion, and promote overall healing.
Reducing Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety:
Numerous studies have shown that massages have a positive impact on mental health. The soothing touch and release of tension during a massage stimulate the production of endorphins and serotonin, reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety while promoting a sense of calm and relaxation.
Healthier skin health and anti-aging effects:
Massage not only provides relaxation but also serves as a nourishing treatment for dry skin. The physical touch of hands and moisturizing oils used during a massage help improve circulation, reduce fine lines, enhance skin hydration, and promote a healthy, vibrant complexion.
Different Types of Massage and Specific Health Benefits:
Lymphatic drainage massage benefits
A lymphatic massage is a gentle therapeutic technique that focuses on stimulating the lymphatic system, which helps flush out waste and toxins from the body. It involves rhythmic and light-pressure movements to encourage lymphatic flow and reduce fluid retention.
Benefits of lymphatic drainage massage therapy include:
- Debloating and Getting Rid of Puffiness in the Body: Lymphatic massages stimulate lymph flow, helping to reduce fluid retention and alleviate bloating.
- Breaking Down Fat Cells and Cellulite: By targeting lymph nodes and stimulating the lymphatic system, this massage technique aids in breaking down fat cells and reducing cellulite's appearance.
- Getting Rid of Post-Injury Swelling: Lymphatic massages reduce swelling and edema following an injury.
- Improving Results Following Liposuction: This specialized massage can enhance liposuction results by facilitating proper lymphatic drainage and reducing post-surgical swelling.
- Easing Overall Tension in the Body: Lymphatic massages promote relaxation, reduce tension, and improve overall well-being.
Deep Tissue Massage Benefits:
Deep tissue massage is a therapeutic type of massage therapy that focuses on releasing tension and targeting deeper layers of muscles and connective tissues. It entails applying firm pressure and slow strokes to alleviate chronic muscle pain, increase flexibility, and promote relaxation.
This type of massage addresses specific tension and knots, providing a more intense and targeted experience than traditional relaxation massages.
- Improving Sleep: Deep tissue massages help relax the body, relieve tension, and promote better sleep quality.
- Speedier Recovery Between Workouts: Athletes can benefit from deep tissue massages as they aid in muscle recovery, reduce soreness, and enhance athletic performance.
- Boosting Blood Circulation: This massage technique stimulates blood flow, enhancing circulation and delivering essential nutrients to the body's tissues.
- Improving Posture: By targeting deep layers of muscle and fascia, deep tissue massages can alleviate muscle imbalances, correct posture, and reduce chronic aches and pains.
- Relaxing and Reducing Cortisol Levels: Deep tissue massages induce relaxation, lower stress hormone levels, such as cortisol, and promote a sense of calm.
- Increasing Joint Flexibility and Mobility: This massage technique helps release joint tension, improve range of motion, and enhance flexibility.
Facial Massage Benefits:
A facial massage involves gentle manipulation of the facial muscles, skin, and tissues to promote relaxation and improve circulation. It is a therapeutic technique that aims to enhance the overall health and appearance of the skin. By stimulating blood flow and lymphatic drainage, facial massages can rejuvenate your facial muscles and skin.
- Alleviating Inflammation and Puffiness: Feeling puffy after a night of drinking or feel like the medication you may be on is leading to a puffy face? Facial massages reduce facial inflammation and puffiness, resulting in a refreshed appearance.
- Lessening the Appearance of Acne: By stimulating blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, facial massages can help reduce acne breakouts and promote clearer skin.
- Improving the Appearance of Scars: Facial massages promote collagen production, which can help minimize the appearance of scars.
- Alleviating Discomfort from TMJ: Facial massages can relieve tension and discomfort associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.
- Providing Sinus Congestion Relief: Gentle facial massage techniques can help relieve sinus congestion and promote better breathing.
- Anti-aging Effects: Facial massages, particularly when paired with appropriate devices, help smooth out wrinkles, fine lines and promote a youthful appearance.
- Improving Skin Tone: Facial massages stimulate blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, improving skin tone and a healthy glow.
Scalp Massage Benefits:
A scalp massage is a therapeutic technique that involves manipulating the scalp using various massage movements and techniques. It specifically focuses on the scalp area, targeting the muscles, tissues, and nerve endings in the scalp. Scalp massages can be performed using the fingertips, palms, or specialized massage tools.
Scalp massages offer a range of benefits, including:
- Combating Hair Loss: Scalp massages stimulate the hair follicles, improve blood flow to the scalp, and promote hair growth, potentially reducing hair loss.
- Improving Hair Thickness: Regular scalp massages can enhance hair thickness and quality by stimulating the scalp and increasing blood circulation.
- Banishing Dandruff: Massaging the scalp helps to exfoliate dead skin cells, unclog hair follicles, and reduce the occurrence of dandruff.
- Encouraging Natural Hair Growth: Scalp massages stimulate the hair follicles on the head and may promote the growth of healthy, lustrous hair.
- Relieving Stress and Promoting Overall Well-being: The soothing touch of a scalp massage can relax the mind, reduce stress levels, and enhance overall feelings of well-being.
- Alleviating Migraines and headaches: Scalp massages can relieve migraines and tension headaches by reducing muscle tension and promoting relaxation.
Shiatsu Massage Benefits:
Shiatsu massage is a Japanese technique that involves applying pressure to specific points on the body using fingers, thumbs, and palms. It offers a wide range of benefits, including:
- Reducing Stress and Tension: Shiatsu massages induce deep relaxation, and help release tension, resulting in a calmer state of mind.
- Boosting Good Energy: This massage technique balances the body's energy flow, promoting a sense of vitality and overall well-being.
- Alleviating Anxiety and Addressing Depression: Shiatsu massages can positively impact mental health by reducing anxiety and improving mood.
- Decreasing Fatigue: Regular shiatsu massage sessions can help alleviate fatigue and increase energy levels.
- Improving Sleep: Shiatsu massages promote relaxation, relieve muscle tension, and improve sleep quality.
- General Feelings of Improved Well-being: Shiatsu massage helps restore balance and harmony within the body, resulting in an overall sense of well-being.
- Reducing Muscle Tension: Shiatsu massages release muscle tension by applying pressure to specific points, promoting relaxation and reducing stiffness.
- Increasing Range of Movement and Mobility: Shiatsu massages can help improve joint flexibility and mobility by targeting specific pressure points.
How Often Should I Get a Massage? What is the best type of massage to get?
The frequency of massages and the type of massage therapy you pursue depends on your individual needs and goals.
Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind before you book your next massage:
Chronic Muscle Tension or Pain: Regular massage once a week or bi-weekly can help
release tension in deeper muscles and alleviate pain for those with fibromyalgia. Studies have shown that 75% of patients who report fibromyalgia use some form of massage as a complementary therapy for pain management.
Massage therapy sessions at least 30 minutes long twice a week for up to 5 weeks have been shown to help improve chronic lower back pain for up to 6 months.
Deep tissue, Swedish, Shiatsu, and hot stone massages can benefit individuals with chronic muscle tension or pain.
Debloating and Detoxifying: For debloating and detoxifying purposes, lymphatic drainage massages and facial massages are recommended. Lymphatic massages or body rubs are known for their gentle nature, allowing for frequent treatments if needed.
While having a massage more than once a day is not recommended, you can schedule multiple sessions per week to address specific conditions.
The frequency of massage treatments may vary depending on the severity of your condition, and highly frequent sessions may be necessary, particularly during the initial stages of treatment.
Enhancing Athletic Performance: Athletes can benefit from deep tissue, athletic, and cupping massages.
Consider scheduling deep tissue massages before and after competitions or intense training sessions to reduce muscle tension, improve mobility, and enhance performance. A frequency of every 1-2 weeks has also been reported to be beneficial.
Stress and Anxiety Relief: A considerable amount of research supports massage as being effective at alleviating stress and anxiety. For example, in one study where participants just had 10-15 minutes of massage from a massage chair, their cortisol levels and blood pressure dropped. They also reported feeling less anxious and stressed.
Consider deep tissue massages, chair massages, shiatsu massages, scalp and facial massages, and hot stone massages once a month or as needed to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being.
Combating headaches and migraines: If you suffer from 15 or more migraine days a month, consider scheduling a massage up to two times a week to every two weeks. Try myofascial trigger point-focused head and neck, shiatsu, scalp, and traditional Thai massage.
What Happens to Your Body After a Massage?
After a massage, your body enters a state of deep relaxation. Blood circulation improves, muscles become more relaxed, and endorphins release, resulting in a heightened sense of well-being.
Some people may experience temporary soreness or fatigue immediately after a massage, but these effects are typically short-lived.
Can Massages Change Your Body? Yes, at any age!
Yes! As mentioned earlier, deep tissue and lymphatic massages have been shown to help a variety of physical ailments across all ages and also even increase fat burning and even lead to a notable caloric burn.
A deep-tissue massage can be very similar to a lightweight workout, leading to a calorie burn of around 250 calories per hour.
Worried your baby isn’t getting enough nutrients and gaining weight like they should or isn't sleeping well? Massage may help! When it comes to preterm infants, a daily massage of 15 minutes at least twice a day for a week’s time has been linked to increased weight gain and better sleep.
What Not to Do Right After a Massage?
We've all heard it if we've received a professional massage-- drink lots of water!
After a massage, giving your body time to rest and recuperate is essential. Avoid vigorous physical activity, excessive heat exposure, and consuming heavy meals or alcohol.
Instead, drink a few extra cups of water to rehydrate and allow your body to reap the full benefits of the massage.
How Long Do the Effects of a Massage Last?
The effects of a single massage session can last up to a week, and also provide immediate relief and relaxation.
Regular massage therapy at least once a week over the course of five weeks has also been shown to yield more long-term benefits lasting up to 6 months, including improved posture, reduced muscle tension, enhanced sleep quality, and a general sense of well-being.
The bottom line: This is a sign to book yourself a massage!
Massage therapy offers a wide array of benefits for both the body and mind. Massages have a profound impact on our overall well-being, from promoting relaxation and relieving muscle tension to alleviating stress and rejuvenating the skin. It can also be beneficial to use essential oils during your next massage if you are looking to combat anxiety.
By incorporating various massage techniques into your self-care routine, you can experience a multitude of surprising health benefits.
So, whether you seek relief from chronic pain, desire a glowing complexion, or simply want to relax and unwind, a massage may be just what you need to rejuvenate your body and mind!
References:
- Barbour C. (2000). Use of complementary and alternative treatments by individuals with fibromyalgia syndrome. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 12(8), 311–316. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-7599.2000.tb00311.x
- Brennan, M.K., & DeBate, R. (2006). The effect of chair massage on stress perception of hospital bedside nurses. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 10, 335-342.
- Cady, S. H., & Jones, G. E. (1997). Massage therapy as a workplace intervention for reduction of stress. Perceptual and motor skills, 84(1), 157–158. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1997.84.1.157
- Chatchawan, U., Eungpinichpong, W., Sooktho, S., Tiamkao, S., & Yamauchi, J. (2014). Effects of Thai traditional massage on pressure pain threshold and headache intensity in patients with chronic tension-type and migraine headaches. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 20(6), 486–492. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2013.0176
- Delaney, J. P., Leong, K. S., Watkins, A., & Brodie, D. (2002). The short-term effects of myofascial trigger point massage therapy on cardiac autonomic tone in healthy subjects. Journal of advanced nursing, 37(4), 364–371. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2002.02103.x
- de Souza, T. P. B., Kurebayashi, L. F. S., de Souza-Talarico, J. N., & Turrini, R. N. T. (2021). The effectiveness of Chair Massage on Stress and Pain in Oncology. International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork, 14(3), 27–38. https://doi.org/10.3822/ijtmb.v14i3.619
- Field T. M. (1998). Massage therapy effects. The American psychologist, 53(12), 1270–1281. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.53.12.1270
- Field T. (2016). Massage therapy research review. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 24, 19–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.04.005
- Field, T., Quintino, O., Henteleff, T., Wells-Keife, L., & Delvecchio-Feinberg, G. (1997). Job stress reduction therapies. Alternative therapies in health and medicine, 3(4), 54–56.
- Hernandez-Reif, M., Field, T., Krasnegor, J., & Theakston, H. (2001). Lower back pain is reduced and range of motion increased after massage therapy. The International journal of neuroscience, 106(3-4), 131–145. https://doi.org/10.3109/00207450109149744
- Jin, M., Jiao, L., Li, J., Zhu, D., Xu, W., Zhong, G., Cao, Z., & Liu, X. (2021). Effectiveness and safety of massage in the treatment of obesity: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine, 100(12), e25249. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000025249
- Kawata, A. K., Shah, N., Poon, J. L., Shaffer, S., Sapra, S., Wilcox, T. K., Shah, S., Tepper, S. J., Dodick, D. W., & Lipton, R. B. (2021). Understanding the migraine treatment landscape prior to the introduction of calcitonin gene-related peptide inhibitors: Results from the Assessment of TolerabiliTy and Effectiveness in MigrAINe Patients using Preventive Treatment (ATTAIN) study. Headache, 61(3), 438–454. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.14053
- Koren, Y., & Kalichman, L. (2018). Deep tissue massage: What are we talking about?. Journal of bodywork and movement therapies, 22(2), 247–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2017.05.006
- Koyama, T., Kobayashi, K., Hama, T., Murakami, K., & Ogawa, R. (2016). Standardized Scalp Massage Results in Increased Hair Thickness by Inducing Stretching Forces to Dermal Papilla Cells in the Subcutaneous Tissue. Eplasty, 16, e8.
- MacDonald G. (1998). Massage as a respite intervention for primary caregivers. The American journal of hospice & palliative care, 15(1), 43–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/104990919801500109
- Moraska, A. F., Stenerson, L., Butryn, N., Krutsch, J. P., Schmiege, S. J., & Mann, J. D. (2015). Myofascial trigger point-focused head and neck massage for recurrent tension-type headache: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The Clinical journal of pain, 31(2), 159–168. https://doi.org/10.1097/AJP.0000000000000091
- Okuda, I., Takeda, M., Taira, M., Kobayashi, T., Inomata, K., & Yoshioka, N. (2022). Objective analysis of the effectiveness of facial massage using breakthrough computed tomographic technology: A preliminary pilot study. Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI), 28(3), 472–479. https://doi.org/10.1111/srt.13152
- Robinson, N., Lorenc, A., & Liao, X. (2011). The evidence for Shiatsu: a systematic review of Shiatsu and acupressure. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 11, 88. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-11-88
- Vairo, G. L., Miller, S. J., McBrier, N. M., & Buckley, W. E. (2009). Systematic review of efficacy for manual lymphatic drainage techniques in sports medicine and rehabilitation: an evidence-based practice approach. The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy, 17(3), e80–e89. https://doi.org/10.1179/jmt.2009.17.3.80E
- Walach, H., Güthlin, C., & König, M. (2003). Efficacy of massage therapy in chronic pain: a pragmatic randomized trial. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 9(6), 837–846. https://doi.org/10.1089/107555303771952181
