Although getting a massage is said to feel good, it is often not perceived as having a significant impact on health to justify a regular expense. Stress is so commonly integrated into everyday life that people become accustomed to the pain, tension, and unease present in their body and mind and see it as a normal way of being. This "normal" experience of modern life has an enormous impact on health and greatly decreases one's ability to experience a sense of well-being.
Stress negatively impacts every system within the body as well as the mind. The list of symptoms associated with stress is lengthy and can involve pain, headaches, high blood pressure, poor digestion, low immunity, disturbed sleep, and mental unease. Receiving massage regularly, particularly in combination with daily muscle stretching and other stress-relieving and health-promoting lifestyle practices, can help people return to and maintain a natural state of ease and vitality.
There is increasing scientific evidence of the ability of regular massage therapy to reduce the impact of stress on the body. It is showing itself able to reduce cortisol and increase serotonin and dopamine. This combination of effects creates a relaxation response in the body and generates feelings of ease and well-being in the mind, reducing anxiety and depression.
Massage can also help break up the muscle tension and pain patterns associated with poor postures and repetitive motions common in modern life. Long periods of time spent driving cars, sitting in chairs, using computers, standing still, and/or doing repetitive lifting or other manual tasks build up tension in muscles. If this tension is not relieved, it can lead to muscle pain and stiffness, reduced range of motion, headaches, and disturbed sleep. Receiving massage on a regular basis, particularly when combined with a daily practice of muscle stretching, can restore and maintain muscle length and ease of movement despite one's working conditions.
In addition to mechanically softening muscle and connective tissues to reduce tension and increase mobility, massage increases the release of endorphins. Endorphins help reduce pain and further increase relaxation, thereby improving the body's ability to rest and heal.
The increase in circulation resulting from massage also stimulates the lymphatic system. This system provides our greatest line of defense against invaders like viruses. Massage's impact on the lymphatic system creates a measurable increase in immune cell activity, thereby improving our ability to stay free of illness.
Massage is not just a gift or treat, it is a valuable tool within a health restoration and maintenance strategy that is well worth the cost.