Benefits of Massage

Massage Therapy has long been considered a luxury reserved for a lavish day spa or an upscale health club. However, massage therapy can provide far reaching benefits to improve health and overall wellness for people at every stage of life.

When practiced by a Licensed Massage Therapist, whether at a lavish day spa, or in a massage clinic, massage therapy can do much more than just give you a relaxing experience.  

Everyone from executives to stay-at-home parents have felt the effects of a stressful day in the neck and back muscles at one point or another.  Massage is a terrific way to relieve stress while loosening and relaxing overused, tense muscles.  

The stress relief that massage provides can also help reduce anxiety and improve sleep habits. In addition, regular massages can lead to better posture, which can also help reduce back pain. It's easy to see how those small changes can lead to major improvements in your life.

Some other positive health benefits of regular massages include:    
•Calm the nervous system
•Increase joint flexibility
•Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts
•Promote a sense of relaxation and well being
•Reduce spasms and cramping
•Reduce stress and anxiety
•Improve blood circulation, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells
•Stimulate the lymphatic system, which carries away the body’s waste products
•Prevent and relieve muscles cramps and spasms
•Relieve chronic back and neck pain
•Relieve pain from migraines
•Improve energy   

As Americans get older many people want to continue to be active and play sports. Regular massages can help keep older people in the game. Massages help increase joint flexibilty, improve energy and help keep muscles vital. Massage improves circulation and helps reduce cramping.

In fact, athletes of any age benefit from massage, especially after a strenuous workout.

Massage has been incorporated into many health systems, and different techniques have been developed and integrated into a variety of complementary therapies. One of the most commonly used and practiced massage therapies is Swedish massage.  You will find that the majority of bodyworks professionals have been trained or certified in Swedish massage techniques.

Finally, massage therapy can be used to promote general health of the mind, body and spirit. Many people use massage therapy as a compliment to the meditation or prayer practices as it provides quiet time for people to reflect and get centered. An experienced massage therapist will work with their clients to create the right ambiance to encourage a peaceful experience.

It may be hard to believe, but there are over 200 different types of massage therapies practiced around the world today, with new methods being developed each year.  To find out more about the most common types of massage therapies, please visit our Massage Types page.