5 Reasons To Get Massage Therapy

People get massages for a variety of reasons. Most people have some pain that they want to relieve but some come in for general maintenance or for relaxation. Here are 5 of the top reasons to get a massage.

1. Relieve Pain

The most common reason that people get massage is for pain. Low back, upper back shoulder and neck pain are the biggest complaints. Massage can help the body heal itself by stimulating the circulatory system. One way this is done is with ischemic compressions which is just a fancy way of saying that pressure is applied to the muscles. This method pushes the blood out of the muscle and allows new blood to come in which in turn helps the healing process. There are many other techniques that therapists use to relieve pain such as specific injury massage, cranial sacral and trigger point massage.

2. Relax

You say this all the time. "I'm so stressed I just need to relax!" Massage can help you relax. Lighter touch massage stimulates the autonomic nervous system which is responsible for respiratory rate, heart rate, digestion and perspiration among other things and is a key element in relaxing the body. A deeper massage can be relaxing as well because it stimulates the circulatory system.

3. Detoxify

A good massage can assist with the detoxification of the body. A massage will help the flow of blood and lymph in the circulatory system and assist the body in ridding itself of toxins. Getting a good massage as you are doing a body detoxification is a great way to help cleanse and feel better while you are cleansing.

4. Improve Athletic Performance

The best athletes in the world get massage for a reason. It helps with their game. Sports massage can be given before an event to help warm up and stimulate the muscles or after an event to bring the body back to a normal state. It is also used to maintain the athletes body. Thai yoga massage is a great type of massage for an athletic person because there is a lot of passive stretching done by the therapist which keeps the person limber and helps to avoid injury.

5. Recover from illness.

Massage can help you recover from illness by stimulating the immune system. One of the main parts of the immune system is the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system consists of fluid in the body that is in between cells. This fluid is called lymphatic fluid or lymph and is separated from the blood at the very end of the blood vessels. The lymph fluid then flows through the system where it encounters lymph nodes that help to clean the toxins from the fluid. It is then sent back into the blood stream to continue with the cleansing by the liver and kidneys.

There are many different types of massage that you can get so go ahead and find a good therapist and get a massage today for your health.