Almost everyone knows how great a professional massage feels, but did you know that it has potential health benefits too? That makes it a win-win. Not only can you give yourself a periodic treat in the form of a soothing massage to help rub your troubles away, but depending on your physical condition, you may actually be able to use massage therapy to treat a variety of ailments.
If you suffer from anxiety, for example, there’s a growing body of evidence that shows a clear correlation between massage therapy and a reduction in anxiety attacks. It’s also especially good therapy for people with conditions like fibromyalgia.
Of course, most people think of massage therapy as being helpful if you suffer from a sports injury, or general soft tissue injuries or strains, and there’s no doubt that it is beneficial in those instances, but massage will cure a lot more of what ails you than just these things. Here are a few other things you can treat with regular massage therapy, and some of these may surprise you:
• Chronic headaches
• Insomnia (especially insomnia related to, or caused by, stress)
• Paresthesias
• Nerve pain
• Joint pain
• Myofascial pain syndrome
• Some digestive disorders
Massage therapy is increasingly becoming a vital part of alternative medicine, and its many benefits are backed by solid science. Beyond simply being a means of pampering yourself when you go to the day spa, regularly performed massage therapy can help keep you healthy and feeling years younger than you are.
Obviously, no matter what the benefits of this type of therapy, it can never take the place of regular medical care, but as a supplement to that care, it is a superb addition to your monthly health and wellness regimen, and is highly recommended for most everyone.
