5 Medical Benefits of Massage Therapy

Massage may conjure up images of a luxurious day spa or salon. While a spa massage can be a great stress reliever and help loosen tight muscles, massage therapy performed by a specially trained and certified massage therapist has another level of therapeutic benefits.

In this blog, the skilled massage therapists at High Quality Home Therapy share their thoughts on the five medical benefits of massage therapy.

What is massage therapy?

At some point, many of us will get a massage at a spa or salon. Sometimes, a friend or co-worker books the massage or gives us a gift certificate to make us feel special or spoiled. Or maybe your life partner or significant other treats you to a couple’s massage at a romantic vacation spot or cruise.

But how is spa massage different from massage therapy? In both cases, a provider performs various movements to manipulate soft tissue by applying varied degrees of pressure. But that’s where the similarities end.

While both massage categories may seem very similar, the differences lie in the ultimate outcomes. Specifically, a spa or salon massage can be a great short-term way to relieve stress, while a massage therapy session has a longer-term health payoff.

With massage therapy, trained and certified providers execute strategic movements and apply targeted pressure to trigger a specific reaction for connective tissue, muscles, ligaments, and skin. This medical-grade massage style has medical health benefits.

Helps manage chronic and post-operative pain

Chronic pain affects about 20.9% of all adults in the United States. You are aware that chronic pain is responsible for lost days and can lead to disability if you count yourself among the estimated 51.6 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain.

If you have pain from an injury or chronic pain that keeps you from living your best life, massage therapy can help. The therapeutic massage lowers your body’s stress hormone, called cortisol, while simultaneously increasing the production of serotonin, the hormone neurotransmitter nicknamed the happy chemical.

Can address depression and anxiety

Similarly, boosting serotonin levels while reducing cortisol levels can not only function as a great stress buster but also can help manage anxiety and depression, which often accompany stress.

Supports post-surgery rehabilitation

This realignment of body chemicals also creates a perfect storm for patients recovering from surgery. Post-surgery patients can leverage the mood-boosting benefits of massage by reducing anxiety and stress while also experiencing pain reduction, which translates into a reduced need for pain meds. But that’s not all.

Can ease arthritis symptoms

Similarly, the increase in blood circulation and how it reduces inflammation while also being a tool for improving function and mobility make it a beneficial treatment option for patients who have arthritis. Adding massage therapy to a holistic multidisciplinary treatment plan can enable arthritis patients to benefit physically and mentally.

Boosts immunity

Another great benefit that improves blood flow is how it enhances the flow of healthy nutrients via oxygenated blood while filtering out toxins. With healthy blood flow, your heart pumps blood to the vessels in your lungs. Here, it picks up oxygen and gets rid of waste and toxins. Since blood contains white blood cells to fight infection, the scenario provides an advantage for your overall health by boosting your immune system.

At High Quality Home Therapy, our highly trained and skilled therapists offer 60- and 90-minute massages in various massage styles, including Swedish, Thai, Ayurvedic, and pregnancy and postpartum massages. For your convenience, we can perform massage therapy in our spa-like medical office or come to you at your home or office.

If you’d like to explore the many benefits of massage therapy, contact High Quality Home Therapy in Stamford, Connecticut, today to start your journey. You can use our online tool to schedule an appointment.