Benefits of Massage Good Medicine
By Editorial Staff
Originally published in Body Sense magazine, Fall 2001.
Copyright 2001. Associated Bodywork and Massage
Professionals. All rights reserved.
As you lie on the table under crisp, fresh sheets, hushed
music draws you into the moment. The smell of sage fills
the air and you hear the gentle sound of massage oil
being warmed in your therapist's hands. The pains of
age, the throbbing from your overstressed muscles, the
sheer need to be touched -- all cry out for therapeutic
hands to start their work. Once the session gets
underway, the problems of the world fade into an
oblivious 60 minutes of relief and all you can
comprehend right now is not wanting it to end.
But what if that hour of massage did more for you than
just take the pressures of the day away? What if that
gentle, Swedish massage helped you combat cancer?
What if bodywork helped you recover from a strained
hamstring in half the time? What if your sleep, digestion
and mood all improved with massage and bodywork?
What if these weren't just "what ifs"?
Evidence is showing that the more massage you can
allow yourself, the better you'll feel. Here's why.
Massage as a healing tool has been around for
thousands of years in many cultures. Touching is a
natural human reaction to pain and stress, and for
conveying compassion and support. Think of the last
time you bumped your head or had a sore calf. What did
you do? Rubbed it, right? The same was true of our
earliest ancestors. Healers throughout time and
throughout the world have instinctually and
independently developed a wide range of therapeutic
techniques using touch. Many are still in use today, and
with good reason. We now have scientific proof of the
benefits of massage - benefits ranging from treating
chronic diseases and injuries to alleviating the growing
tensions of our modern lifestyles. Having a massage
does more than just relax your body and mind - there are
specific physiological and psychological changes which
occur, even more so when massage is utilized as a
preventative, frequent therapy and not simply mere
luxury. Massage not only feels good, but it can cure what
ails you.
The Consequences of Stress
Experts estimate that 80 percent to 90 percent of
disease is stress-related. Massage and bodywork is
there to combat that frightening number by helping us
remember what it means to relax. The physical changes
massage brings to your body can have a positive effect
in many areas of your life. Besides increasing relaxation
and decreasing anxiety, massage lowers your blood
pressure, increases circulation, improves recovery from
injury, helps you to sleep better and can increase your
concentration. It reduces fatigue and gives you more
energy to handle stressful situations.
Massage is a perfect elixir for good health, but it can also
provide an integration of body and mind. By producing a
meditative state or heightened awareness of living in the
present moment, massage can provide emotional and
spiritual balance, bringing with it true relaxation and
peace.
The incredible benefits of massage are doubly powerful if
taken in regular "doses." Dr. Maria Hernandez-Reif, from
the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of
Miami, is known for her massage research, along with
colleague Tiffany Field. Together, they and other
researchers have done outstanding work proving the
value of massage. While their studies have shown we
can benefit from massage even in small doses (15
minutes of chair massage or a half-hour table session),
Hernandez-Reif says they know from their research that
receiving bodywork 2-3 times a week is highly beneficial.
And if we lived in a fantasy world, Hernandez-Reif has
the answer. "I feel a daily massage is optimal."
It's undoubtedly a wonderful thing when your therapist
begins unwinding those stress-tightened muscles, and
your day's troubles begin to fade away. But it's the
cherry on top to know this "medicine" only gets better
with frequency.
What You Already Know: The Benefits of Massage
In an age of technical and, at times, impersonal
medicine, massage offers a drug-free, non-invasive and
humanistic approach based on the body's natural ability
to heal itself. So what exactly are the benefits to
receiving regular massage and/or bodywork treatments?
- Increases circulation, allowing the body to pump more
oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs.
- Stimulates the flow of lymph, the body's natural defense
system, against toxic invaders. For example, in breast
cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase
the cells that fight cancer.
- Increased circulation of blood and lymph systems
improves the condition of the body's largest organ - the
skin.
- Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles
- Reduces spasms and cramping
- Increases joint flexibility.
- Reduces recovery time, helps prepare for strenuous
workouts and eliminates subsequent pains of the athlete
at any level.
- Releases endorphins - the body's natural painkiller -
and is being used in chronic illness, injury and recovery
from surgery to control and relieve pain.
- Reduces post-surgery adhesions and edema and can
be used to reduce and realign scar tissue after healing
has occurred.
- Improves range-of-motion and decreases discomfort for
patients with low back pain.
- Relieves pain for migraine sufferers and decreases the
need for medication.
- Provides exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles
and reduces shortening of the muscles for those with
restricted range of motion.
- Assists with shorter labor for expectant mothers, as well
as less need for medication, less depression and anxiety,
and shorter hospital stays.
Other Body Therapies
Alexander Technique - A movement re-education
therapy that was created by a mid-19th century actor
who tried to understand his own movement dysfunctions
on stage. The emphasis is on observing and modifying
improper movement patterns, thereby reducing physical
stress on the body.
Craniosacral Therapy - A gentle method of manipulating
the body's craniosacral system (consisting of thin
membranes and cerebrospinal fluid which surrounds and
protects the brain and spinal cord) in an attempt to
improve the function of the central nervous system,
dissipate the negative effects of stress and enhance
health and resistance to disease.
Reiki - A therapy based on universal life energy that
serves to align chakras and bring healing energy to
organs and glands. Utilizes visualization as practitioner
acts as a channel for the life energy.
Rolfing - Used to reorder the major body segments, this
technique utilizes physical manipulation and movement
awareness to bring the body into vertical alignment.
Treatments are offered in a 10-session series.
Shiatsu - A deep, finger-pressure technique using the
traditional acupuncture points of Asian healing. Works to
unblock energy flows and restore balance to meridians
and organs.
The Need for Touch
As a society, we are touch deprived and this can lead to
disease or emotional dysfunction. From the cradle to the
nursing home, tactile stimulation and the emotional
assurance of caring touch bring about a sense of
well-being and security. In numerous studies conducted
on massage for infants, TRI researchers have found
improved weight gain and development in pre-term
infants, improved weight gain and motor behavior in
cocaine-exposed infants, and improved weight gain and
decreased stress behavior in HIV-exposed infants.
Full-term infants also benefit with increased alertness
and social behavior, less crying and increased weight
gain.
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