Massage therapy involves the manipulation of the soft tissues of the body – muscle, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, and skin — by a trained, qualified medical practitioner (massage therapist). The massage therapist employs a variety of pressure and movement techniques.
Massage is commonly regarded as a component of integrative medicine. It’s becoming more common in medical centers as a therapy option alongside normal care. It can be used to treat a variety of medical issues.
Massage has been shown in studies to be beneficial in the following ways:
- Relieve stress
- Relieve postoperative pain
- Reduce anxiety
- Manage low-back pain
- Help fibromyalgia pain
- Reduce muscle tension
- Enhance exercise performance
- Relieve tension headaches
- Sleep better
- Ease symptoms of depression
- Improve cardiovascular health
- Reduce pain of osteoarthritis
- Decrease stress in cancer patients
- Improve balance in older adults
- Decrease rheumatoid arthritis pain
- Temper effects of dementia
- Promote relaxation
- Lower blood pressure
- Decrease symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Help chronic neck pain
- Lower joint replacement pain
- Increase range of motion
- Decrease migraine frequency
- Improve quality of life in hospice care
- Reduce chemotherapy-related nausea