Massage- Luxury Or Necessity? The Truth May Surprise You

02.08.2023

Everyone can always enjoy a great massage, right? It’s hard to think of a better way to treat yourself to a bit of pampering than with a trip to the spa for a relaxing massage. Unfortunately, our society seems to view massage as strictly a luxury, and because of this view, many people who could benefit from a professional massage don’t because it’s not a necessity, or is it? That’s the question we’re going to explore and answer here today.

Are Regularly Scheduled Massage Treatments A Necessity?

We think so, and after you read this you’ll think so too. Massage is about so much more than just relaxing, and while relaxing is important the added benefits to your overall health and well-being can not be overlooked. Here are a few of the things that massage can do in your life. 

Massage Relieves Stress- Every time you experience anything that requires your attention or for you to take action your body experiences a stress response. Even positive experiences create stress within your body. And in our modern world, the barrage of stress never ends. Excessive stress levels cause a whole host of health concerns like anxiety, depression, digestive issues, fatigue, headache, insomnia…the list goes on and on. Massage releases stress-related tension from your body allowing your muscles and your mind to relax into a state of healing calm that melts the stress away.

Massage Relieves Pain And Speeds Healing- There are different ways that massage works to help relieve both acute and chronic pain. One way massage relieves pain is by reducing muscle tension that’s causing the pain in the first place. The massaging action increases blood flow to the area which brings more oxygen and nutrients to help your body heal any soft tissue injuries faster. The kneading action of your muscles also aids the flow of lymph through your tissues to help carry away toxins and reduce inflammation. In addition, the touch involved with a massage provides calming sensory input that interrupts pain signals allowing your nervous system to calm itself with further reducing pain.

Massage Helps Lessen Symptoms Of  Depression And Anxiety- Depression and anxiety are greatly affected by your stress levels. You know how anxious you feel when you have a deadline approaching and the task is only halfway completed. When your nervous system is subjected to a constant stream of stress it can’t relax and feelings of anxiety and depression are intensified. Massage has been shown to relax the body and mind and relieve the stress that is exacerbating these symptoms. Massage also releases endorphins, the same happy hormones that exercise helps to boost. 

Massage Fights Insomnia And Improves Your Sleep- Getting proper rest and sleep is crucial to maintaining overall health. Your body heals and repairs itself during sleep and if you aren’t getting enough the damage can build up over time leading to chronic health concerns. It’s estimated that 50-70 million Americans don’t get adequate sleep at night due to insomnia.  Massage can help you conquer insomnia to get a good night’s sleep. It does this by not only relieving muscle tension and stress, but massage directly affects your body’s production of serotonin, which affects the production of melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone that helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. In a more relaxed state, you’ll also experience a better quality of sleep and wake feeling more rested.

Types Of Massage

Did you know that there are specific types of massage that benefit your body in different ways? You might choose a cupping massage to help with pain, inflammation, and blood flow. Swedish massage can help with general relaxation and stress relief. Deep pressure massage gets down deep to reach stubborn muscle knots and connective tissues to promote healing and pain relief in cases of sports injury, low back pain, or fibromyalgia. Sports massage is specifically to relieve the pain of overworked muscles and speed the healing of sports-related injuries. Balancing massage helps relieve muscle tension and calm the mind by unblocking energy channels within the body to restore balance. Maternity massage is specific to expectant mothers and can relieve some of the discomforts of pregnancy and promote an easier delivery. Hot stone massage incorporates heat in the form of smooth heated stones to relax and promote flexibility and it is helpful to anyone, but especially to those suffering from arthritis pain or fibromyalgia. 

You can certainly see for yourself now that if you haven’t been treating yourself to massages regularly, it’s time to reconsider. When you take all of the proven health benefits of massage into account it’s easy to see that maintaining a schedule of massage treatments is far from a luxury. It’s a necessary investment in your health and well-being.

When you’re ready to start improving your health and well-being through the amazing benefits of massage, the professional massage therapists at  Rizzieri Salon & Spa are here to help. Our Moorestown location can be found in Moorestown Mall at 400 NJ-38 Suite 1440, Moorestown, NJ, and our Washington Township location at 389 Ganttown Road, Sewell, NJ. You can feel free to call us at Moorestown – at 856-985-1225 or at Washington Twp – at 856-582-3750. You can also conveniently book with our Moorestown and Washington Township locations online!