It’s time to take care of yourself! Stress, anxiety and pain can dramatically restrict your lifestyle and negatively affect your overall health. Research on the benefits of massage therapy gives strong evidence for including massage as part of an approach to staving off pain and relieving stress and anxiety.
STRESS
Anyone who has ever had a massage to relax knows it’s effect, but research shines a light on the science behind what takes place during a massage. For more than 20 years, studies have shown some of the positive effects of massage therapy for relaxation. In a study on the effect of trigger point therapy, there were a significant decrease in heart rate, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure and salivary cortisol levels were all lower after a 10- to 15-mintue chair massage in controlled studies. Changes in psychological states have been measured by physiological responses, the perceived stress scale, the POMS depression scale and the Anxiety state scale. All this means your stress levels go down with massage!
ANXIETY
Research continues to document the impact for relief of anxiety and depression for people in a wide range of health situations. For example, one randomized study found women with stage 1 and stage 2 breast cancer benefited from regular massage therapy sessions. The immediate massage benefits included reduced anxiety, depress mood and anger, while the long-term impact reduced depression and increased serotonin values. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter with functions in carious parts of the body, works to regulate mood, appetite, sleep, memory and learning. So anxiety levels go down with massage too!
PAIN
From the muscle strain and soreness when you overdo it to serious or chronic pain, massage therapy is showing positive results. Consumers are learning its value, as 41 percent of American adults who had massage in the past five years indicate they sought it for pain relief. Research on massage therapy for pain conducted by Samueli Institute in 2016 concluded that massage therapy should be strongly recommended for pain management. The analysis reviewed 67 published studies on the impact of massage therapy on pain. So pain levels go down with massage too!
It’s time to take care of yourself – and your stress, anxiety and pain! Call our office today to book a massage with one of our massage therapists: 360-951-4504. They are ready to help you lower your stress, anxiety and pain levels!