Massage Therapy and Stress
Virtually every symptom listed by the American Psychological Association can benefit from massage. Research has shown that it can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, relax your muscles and increase the production of endorphins, your body's natural "feel good" chemical. Serotonin and dopamine are also released through massage, and the result is a feeling of calm relaxation that makes chronic or habitual as well as acute or short-term stress much easier to overcome.
In fact, stress relief is one of the first benefits that come to mind when thinking of massage therapy. It's also a key component for anyone trying to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Clinical studies show that even a single 1 ½-hour session can significantly lower your heart rate, cortisol levels and insulin levels -- all of which explain why massage therapy and stress relief go hand-in-hand.
Virtually every symptom listed by the American Psychological Association can benefit from massage. Research has shown that it can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, relax your muscles and increase the production of endorphins, your body's natural "feel good" chemical. Serotonin and dopamine are also released through massage, and the result is a feeling of calm relaxation that makes chronic or habitual as well as acute or short-term stress much easier to overcome.
In fact, stress relief is one of the first benefits that come to mind when thinking of massage therapy. It's also a key component for anyone trying to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Clinical studies show that even a single 1 ½-hour session can significantly lower your heart rate, cortisol levels and insulin levels -- all of which explain why massage therapy and stress relief go hand-in-hand.
Benefits of Massage Therapy for Stress
Taking care of your body should be at the top of your priorities. By adding therapeutic massage to your routine now, you'll feel, look and simply be healthier far into the future. In fact, stress relief alone can improve your vitality and state of mind. So what better way to prep for a long, happy life than a relaxing, therapeutic massage?
If you're looking to add stress-relieving massage to your wellness program, we can become a powerful ally when combating daily pressures and anxiety. In addition to stress relief, ongoing massage therapy can reduce pain, increase energy levels and improve overall physical and mental performance. Dr Dave Hillis, LifeStyle Engineer® at Dolphin Healing Hands customizes every massage (and stress relief) session to address your individual needs.
Taking care of your body should be at the top of your priorities. By adding therapeutic massage to your routine now, you'll feel, look and simply be healthier far into the future. In fact, stress relief alone can improve your vitality and state of mind. So what better way to prep for a long, happy life than a relaxing, therapeutic massage?
If you're looking to add stress-relieving massage to your wellness program, we can become a powerful ally when combating daily pressures and anxiety. In addition to stress relief, ongoing massage therapy can reduce pain, increase energy levels and improve overall physical and mental performance. Dr Dave Hillis, LifeStyle Engineer® at Dolphin Healing Hands customizes every massage (and stress relief) session to address your individual needs.
Massage Therapy Encourages Relaxation
The body can produce an unhealthy buildup of hormones when we're stuck in traffic or meeting a work deadline. Pent-up levels of the "stress hormone" cortisol can lead to sleeplessness, headaches and even digestive problems. Enter massage therapy. Massage has been shown to decrease cortisol in the body. This allows the body to enter a relaxing rest-and-recovery mode: an effect that lingers long after the massage is over. In fact, massage triggers a host of brain chemistry responses that can result in lasting feelings of relaxation, lowered stress and improved mood. Dr Dave Hillis offers a variety of relaxing massage therapy styles and techniques to help kick start the relaxation process. If you enjoy relaxing massage therapy, know that Dr Dave Hillis can be a powerful ally in your wellness program. In addition to encouraging relaxation, ongoing massage therapy can reduce pain, increase energy levels and improve overall physical and mental performance. Benefits of Improved Relaxation
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Massage Therapy Relaxes Muscles
We've all suffered from the soreness associated with an overly exuberant exercise session. But did you know that most Americans experience neck, back and muscle pain from another less-strenuous activity? Surprisingly, it's sitting. Chronic back pain, which is the second most common cause of disability and a top reason for missing work, can be the result of improper posture while sitting and standing. Additionally, carrying extra weight, poor posture, and repetitive or overuse movements can put strain on the back and other sensitive areas. This strain often results in spasms, tense muscles and pain in your upper back, hips, glutes and hamstrings. So the question is: what relaxes muscles? Massage (or muscular therapy) gets to the root of the pain by relaxing tense muscles and increasing flexibility. . Massage also encourages blood flow to the affected muscles, which can bring increase oxygen and nutrients,. All of this activity reduces swelling and stiffness and increases flexibility to help eliminate pain. Muscular therapy also releases endorphins and boosts your levels of serotonin and dopamine, all hormones your body produces to help you feel good, promote healing and pain management, and calm your nerves. Benefits of Relaxed Muscles
Helpful Wellness Tip: Deep Tissue Massage focuses on deeper tissue structures with intense pressure to release chronic muscle tension and ultimately relax the body. |
Massage Therapy Improves Posture
From board meetings to bunko groups, there's a lot of tension these days-as in neck and back tension. "Our necks and backs hurt, and poor posture is the No. 1 culprit," says Janice Novak, M.S., author of the book, Posture, Get it Straight! (Perigee Trade, 1999). When you hunch forward, your body isn't properly aligned. "Not only does poor posture look bad, but it forces some muscles to work incredibly hard all day long while others get weaker," Novak says. Poor posture can put you in other slumps, too. "When you slouch, you're pressing down on your internal organs, which affects digestion," Novak says, adding that circulation and breathing capacity can take a hit too. Unlike other bad habits, poor posture can be relaxing to correct. Why? Because massage can help get your body back on track. Allowing the body to reinforce healthy and natural movements can be one of the most beneficial aspects of massage therapy. Massage can relax and loosen the muscles made sore by bad posture, allowing your body to position itself in its natural-and pain-free-posture. With ongoing massage the muscles are loosened and relaxed-joints have greater freedom and pressure points are relieved. This allows the body to position itself in a healthy and natural posture, therefore avoiding the movements and positions developed over time as a reaction to the pain. Benefits of Improved Posture
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Massage Therapy Improves Blood Circulation
The long-term effects of massage therapy are more than skin deep. Better blood circulation is part of the chain reaction that occurs in the body as a result of receiving massage therapy on a regular basis. According to Eileen Cahalane of Alive Magazine: A person with poor circulation can suffer from a variety of discomforts including pooling of the fluid in the extremities (like the toes), cold hands and feet, fatigue and achiness created by an accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. Good circulation brings damaged, tense muscles the oxygen rich blood they need to heal. Massage facilitates circulation because the pressure created by the massage technique actually moves blood through the congested areas. The release of this same pressure causes new blood to flow in. The squeezing and pulling also flushes lactic acid from the muscles and improves the circulation of the lymph fluid which carries metabolic waste away from muscles and internal organs, resulting in lower blood pressure and improved body function. Improved blood circulation is just one more benefit of massage therapy. Combined with a balanced diet and regular exercise, massage can be a powerful, natural ally for a healthier lifestyle. Benefits of Improved Circulation
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Massage Therapy Improves Flexibility
Muscle injuries are more common now than they were 50 years ago. That's not because we're exercising harder. It's because we're more sedentary. What's worse, as we age our joints tend to tighten, making range of motion and flexibility even more restricted. Massage therapy is a beneficial treatment for maintaining and improving flexibility and motion. By working on muscles, connective tissues, tendons, ligaments, and joints, regular massage can improve your flexibility and range of motion, keeping your joints more fluid and making them less injury prone. As you can see, massage is a great way to relax stressed muscles, stimulate blood flow and improve flexibility. So is daily stretching. One benefit of stretching is an improvement of blood circulation, which aids in illness recovery and disease prevention. Elongating muscles will also improve posture and your joints' range of motion. Stretching and massage are even more important for someone who is physically active. Loose muscles are less prone to strains and sprains during a workout. Incorporating massage and stretching into a fitness routine also will help reduce soreness after a workout. Stretching beforehand will allow greater freedom of movement when exercising and longer workout periods because it helps prevent a buildup of lactic acid in your blood. Regular post-workout massages can then aid in the recovery and relaxation process. Benefits of Improved Flexibility and Range of Motion
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Massage Therapy Strengthens the Immune System
Regular therapeutic massage sessions provide significant benefits beyond the immediate relaxation we enjoy. People who experience high levels of stress tend to get sick more than others. Combine stress with lack of sleep and poor nutrition, and our immune system's ability to naturally protect itself against bacteria and infection is greatly reduced. So the question is: What are the benefits of massage on immune system? Clinical studies have indicated that regular massage not only helps alleviate stress, but can naturally increase the immune system's cytotoxic capacity (the activity level of the body's natural "killer cells") and decrease the number of T-cells, which improves the body's immune functioning overall. In one study by Gail Ironson, M.D., HIV positive men were given 45 minute massages five days a week, for a month. They showed an increase in serotonin and an increase in cells that are viewed as the first line of defense in the immune system. Benefits of Strengthening the Immune System
Helpful Wellness Tip: Massage therapy may be a great addition to your exercise program. Just like regular exercise can keep your muscles strong, regular massage can help keep your immune system performing at its peak. |
Massage Therapy Lowers Blood Pressure
High blood pressure has more misconceptions than nearly any other medical condition. Here are some common misconceptions according to the American Heart Association: Myth: High blood pressure has many symptoms Fact: High blood pressure has NO symptoms. That's why it's often called the silent killer. Myth: High blood pressure is a man's problem Fact: High blood pressure can be anyone's problem. In fact, women need to be aware of certain things that may put them at greater risk than men Myth: You don't need to have your high blood pressure checked until you reach middle age. Fact: Children as young as six can have high blood pressure. It's a good idea to start having your blood pressure checked at an early age. One effective way to stave off high blood pressure naturally is massage therapy. Long-term studies have shown that a consistent massage program can decrease diastolic and systolic blood pressure; decrease salivary and urinary cortisol stress-hormone levels; and lower sources for depression, anxiety and hostility. If you or someone you know is looking for natural ways to help lower blood pressure. Benefits of Lower Blood Pressure
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Massage Therapy Manages Pain of Chronic Conditions
People with chronic pain often turn to massage therapy to help naturally improve their quality of life. Notes Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Florida: "Most people go to massage therapists to reduce pain. There's a release of serotonin, which is the body's natural production of anti-pain chemicals. Additionally, an aggravating factor in pain syndromes can be a lack of deep, restorative sleep. Massage is very effective at increasing deep sleep. With more deep sleep, you have less pain." Fibromyalgia and arthritis are two chronic pain syndromes that can be positively impacted by massage therapy. In a study of massage therapy for knee osteoarthritis, a group receiving massage therapy for the pain showed significant improvement in pain, stiffness and physical function. They increased their range of motion and reduced the time it took them to walk 50 feet. In another study, conducted by the Touch Research Institute, people with arthritis in their wrist and hand reported less pain and greater grip strength after massage therapy. They also had lower anxiety and depressed mood scores. For people looking to naturally manage their chronic pain, massage therapy can improve quality of life by impacting mood as well as manage the pain. When you live with chronic pain, having a toolbox of strategies you turn to for pain relief is important. Massage can be a powerful tool for relaxing both mind and body. Benefits of Managing Chronic Pain
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Massage Therapy Improves Post-Operative Surgical Rehabilitation
An important aspect of any surgical procedure is the post rehabilitation recovery process. It's during this process that natural movement is re-learned, and freedom of movement is re-enforced. Massage plays an important role as a supplement to standard rehabilitation procedures after surgery. Spine surgeon Johnny C. Benjamin explains how massage can help promote healing. "Massage is great in helping to bring blood and nutrients to the affected area to repair the soft tissue. Massage also can help break up scar tissue and keep the muscles supple so less scar tissue develops in the first place." By increasing circulation while relaxing the muscles, massage can help the body pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs. This allows the surgical rehabilitating area(s) to become more flexible and heal at an accelerated rate. Even when there's no injury, massage can helps athletes of all levels improve their flexibility and muscle suppleness. Dr Dave Hillis can also stretch the muscles in trouble areas, promoting increased flexibility when the body is warm and more elastic. When you book your massage, request a sports massage, and ask that special attention be paid to any injured areas. Benefits of Improved Post-Operative Surgical Rehabilitation
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