People who spend time enjoying a body massage from professionals don’t only pamper themselves. Still, they also enjoy numerous benefits even after days or weeks of the massage, especially if they include it in their routines.
In this week’s article, you’ll learn 9 surprising reasons why you need to have a good body massage.
What is a body massage?
Mayo Clinic defines massage as “a general term for pressing, rubbing and manipulating your skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Massage may range from light stroking to deep pressure.” There are various forms of massage, and each one of them focuses on specific parts of the body to achieve targeted healing outcomes. The different types of massage include:
- Swedish massage: The Swedish massage is very common and beneficial. It makes use of long strokes, tapping, kneading, friction, effleurage, percussion, and shaking motions. This massage helps reduce and manage body stress, improves your posture, enhance your flexibility, and also improve blood circulation. Whether you are new to massage, have a lot of tension, or just too sensitive to touch, the Swedish massage should be your ideal choice.
- Deep Tissue Massage: Deep tissue massage technique is generally helpful in treating musculoskeletal issues like injuries from sporting activities and strains. Therapists use slow, deep strokes to reach the inner layers of your muscles. Mayo Clinic explains that this technique can speed up healing through increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation. Persons who are sensitive to pressure should avoid this type of massage.
- Sports massage: This technique is better used to help sportsmen and women train before, during, and after sporting activities. It may help to prevent sports injuries, muscle strains, and even help to speed up healing after a sports injury.
This technique may help to reduce muscle tension, muscular pain, and discomfort.
During a sports massage, the therapist may give you a full body massage or only focus on particular spots of the body that need attention.
Whenever you visit your therapist for this massage, you may opt to either stay clothed or naked during the session. The duration for this massage often ranges between 60 to 90 minutes, and it helps improves the performance of sportsmen and women who usually do it.
- Trigger points massage: This is a proven method to treat headaches that are caused by tight upper back and neck muscles. For an overall treatment plan, trigger point massage is the technique to use. Therapists advise that you wear lightweight clothing for this type of massage. Enduring chronic pain and got some 60 to 90 minutes of free time? Why don’t you visit Fitness 1 Gym, the best gym in Ghana, to enjoy the trigger points massage?
- Reflexology: This is very common and effective for people who want to avoid too much body touch, and want to be clothed throughout the massage session. It focuses on your feet, hands, and ears.
- Aromatherapy massage: The therapist doing the aromatherapy massage adds essential oils while using Swedish therapy techniques. People who are sensitive to strong smells, this might not be a good option for you.
- Hot Stone Massage: This type of massage uses similar features as that of the Swedish massage. However, the increased heat used here enables it to help release more muscle tension and pain. In most cases, the Hot Stone massage is more expensive than the Swedish massage. The massage therapist may use a stone to massage your body using the Swedish massage techniques. During this massage, you don’t have to keep any clothes on, but if you feel uncomfortable, you may keep your underwear on.
Here are 9 Surprising Reasons You Need a Good Body Massage:
- Improve Blood Circulation
Body massage therapy helps enhance the general blood flow and circulation in the body, which helps to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the cells. According to a study from researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago, massage therapy improves general blood flow and alleviates muscle soreness after exercise. “We believe that massage is positively changing physiology,” said Nina Cherie Franklin, an IUC associate professor of physical therapy. Sports and deep tissue massage helps to induce fresh blood flow, which increases oxygen and nutrient content within the muscle.
- Improve Sleep
The body enjoys total relaxation after a body massage, and this translates into an enhancement in your sleep pattern and enjoyment. If you’ve had insomnia, try having a wellness massage, you might even fall asleep during the massage session.
- Stress Management
A good body massage can help minimize muscle tension, pain, and anxiety. It can also help relieve you of depression. Research has shown that massage can reduce your heart rate and blood pressure and enhance the production of endorphins to boost your mood. According to Me Magazine, clinical studies show that even a single 1.5-hour session can significantly lower your heart rate, cortisol levels, and insulin levels. This best shows why massage therapy is healthy for stress management.
- Improves Body Posture
The Swedish massage is one of the common therapies that help achieve this. The trigger point massage therapy helps to relieve body pain by easing tension on the neck, shoulders, back and other areas of the body
- Improve The body’s Immune System
One of the health benefits of a good body massage is to calm the nervous system and promote a sense of relaxation and well being. The immune system is a body network of cells and protein that plays a vital role in defending the body against infections. With all the credit given to it of keeping the body alive, it stills needs to be boosted periodically to keep it functioning perfectly. Through research, it has been proven that receiving regular massage therapy helps boost our
immune systems and flushes out toxins, which by the way, increases blood flow through the body. It may also help reduce cortisol (stress hormone released by adrenal glands) and increase the activity of white blood cells that help our body fight diseases.
- Alleviate Body Pain
Trigger point therapy can be used to lessen body pain. A 2011 study of lower back pain published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that Swedish massage or deep tissue massage can help reduce severe lower back pain. “After receiving one massage a week for ten weeks, 1 out of 3 patients were relieved of pain compared to 1 in 25 usual given care.”
- Enhance Flexibility
The sports massage helps reduce muscle stiffness and soreness after exercise or physical exercise. Flexibility is an essential component of physical fitness and ultimately has many
positive effects on the body, which includes improved mobility and posture, muscle coordination, reduces the risk of injuries and muscle soreness. In a grasp, it leaves the body in better shape. On the other hand, inadequate flexibility has a huge negative impact on the body, which includes frequent fatigue causing opposing muscle groups to work harder, and abnormal stress on structures and tissues. Body or muscle flexibility can be enhanced by taking a massage therapy that relaxes stresses muscles, stimulates blood flow, and at length, improve flexibility.
- Reduce post-surgery and post-injury swelling
After any injury or surgery, the fitness and health of the muscle diminish, which causes swellings at the injury or surgery spot. This post-surgery and post-injury swellings can further disfigure or damage the skin if immediate treatment is not sought for. To prevent this, periodic massage therapy is often recommended to help improve the muscle condition; and increase the availability of healthy oxygen and nutrients through skillful handling of the muscles hence increase in blood flow.
- Relief of muscles soreness
It is undeniably true that there is always a surging pain or soreness after a vigorous exercise or after a hard day’s work. This soreness is a result of stress put on the muscles, which is termed as muscle soreness. This soreness makes you partially weak and easily tired at times. To find that relief you are looking for is to opt for a massage that without-a-doubt is an excellent experience after a vigorous exercise or stressed day. A massage effectively helps reduce the pain or soreness of the body and rapidly helps muscles recover, leaving you refreshed. It also eases any form of inflammation, improves blood flow, and reduces muscle tightness.
When Not To Have a Massage
Although a body massage is generally considered as safe, experts advise against persons suffering from these conditions to book for a massage.
- Fever
- Inflammation
- Osteoporosis
- Infections
- Neuritis
- Contagious diseases such as cold or flu
- Skin diseases
- Recent medical operations
Professional therapists advise that clients suffering from any of these conditions should first seek approval from a physician before going for a wellness massage.
- Cardio-vascular conditions
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Epilepsy
- Edema
- Other medical conditions being treated by a medical practitioner
Now you know so much about body massages, including the types and benefits you can enjoy, quickly sign up for Fitness 1 Gym’s massage sessions. Enjoy these massage services from us:
- Back Massage
- Head Shoulders
- Reflexology
- Full Leg Massage
- Trigger Points
- Relaxing Swedish Massage
- Deep Tissue
Our massage therapists offer these varieties of massages to help relax and loosen the muscles made sore by bad posture, allowing your body to position itself in his natural and pain-free posture.
If you’re in Accra Ghana, locate us at One Airport Square, or send an email to [email protected] if you need further information about our services.
If you need further clarification, please consult your doctor.
References
Brown A, Tripsavvy, The Health Benefits of a Massage, December 30, 2018, https://www.tripsavvy.com/the-health-benefits-of-massage-3090004
Massage Now, What are the Contraindications to Massage Treatment? https://www.massagenow.com/contraindications/
Jones S, Massage Envy, Ways of Treating & Relieving Stress with Massage Therapy, 2020, https://www.massageenvy.com/about-us/me-magazine/massage-therapy-relieves-stress
Cronkleton E, Healthline, What Are the Different Types of Massages?, November 14, 2018, https://www.healthline.com/healthline/types-of-massage#trigger-point
Spa Experience, Top 5 Clinically Proven Benefits of Massage, July 07, 2014, https://www.spaexperience.org.uk/about/blog/detail/our-blog/2014/07/07/top-5-clinically-proven-benefits-of-massage
Advantage Healthcare, What Are Some Benefits of Trigger Point Therapy? https://ahcwellnesscenter.com/benefits-of-trigger-point-therapy/
Ashley, Core Elements, Benefits of Sports Massage Therapy, February 18, 2019, https://coreelements.uk.com/2019/02/18/benefits-of-sports-massage-therapy/
Santos-Longhurst A, Is a Deep Tissue Massage What Your Muscles Need?, December 13, 2018, https://www.healthline.com/health/deep-tissue-massage#benefits
Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary, 13 Therapeutic Benefits of Swedish Massage, https://www.osmosis.com/blog/13-therapeutic-benefits-of-swedish-massage/
Mayo Clinic, Stress Management, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/massage/art-20045743
Science Daily, Massage therapy Improves Circulation, Alleviates Muscle Soreness, April 16, 2014, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140416125434.htm
Urban Nirvana, 10 Benefits of Massage Therapy, https://www.urbannirvana.com/10-benefits-massage-therapy/
How Does Massage Relief Post-Surgery and Post-Injury Swelling? https://www.physio.co.uk/treatments/massage/when-can-massage-help/post-surgery.php
Bakalar N, How Massage Heals Sore Muscles, February 06, 2012, https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/how-massage-heals-sore-muscles/
Griffin K, Blanchard Valley Health System, Massage Therapy and Your Immune System, https://www.bvhealthsystem.org/expert-health-articles/massage-therapy-and-your-immune-system
Massage Envy, Massage Therapy Improves Flexibility and Range of Motion, https://www.massageenvy.com/about-us/me-magazine/improves-flexibility-and-range-of-motion