Would you like to know a surprising fact about massage?
85% of patients say that they have used massage therapy as a way to relieve their pain or as an alternative treatment to pain medications and narcotics.
It is not just patients making the choice to give massage therapy a try.
More and more doctors in Toledo are recommending massage as a part of the first treatment options to try for conditions like low back pain, sciatica, and neck pain.
Massage Therapy Center of Sylvania has been saying the same thing for over 12 years. Our focus has always been on treating pain, dysfunction, and to promote healing through our massage practice in the Toledo area. Massage is a fantastic way to relax of course, but it can also benefit your body in many other ways.
The effects of massage on your body
No matter what type of massage treatment you choose, whether myofascial release therapy, deep tissue or even Swedish, the massage strokes and pressure all result in positive changes to your body.
Here are a few examples of how massage affects different body systems:
Massage Therapy and Your Musculoskeletal system
Massage reduces muscle tension, stretches tissues, improves range of motion, and releases knots or trigger points in muscles and myofascial tissues.
Massage therapy can help relax muscles, decrease soreness, and can help restore the muscle's tone.
When these benefits are combined with stimulating your circulatory system, massage becomes a key therapy for treating musculoskeletal injuries.
If you suffer from osteoarthritis, massage can really help reduce your stiffness and pain.
Massage Therapy and Your Respiratory system
Massage can lessen tension by encouraging you to breathe slowly and deeply as you relax. This type of breathing also calms your nervous system.
Percussive massage clears chest congestion, while trigger point release can greatly reduce sinus pressure. Every time I get a cold, I make sure to give myself a sinus massage!
Massage may also help improve lung function in patients with asthma.
Massage Therapy and Your Circulatory system
Massage improves the flow of blood and lymphatic fluids.
As a result of better blood flow, every part of your body gets a boost in oxygen and nutrients, which accelerates healing and reduces inflammation.
Meanwhile, your lymph system eliminates waste more efficiently. For more information check out our post on Lymphatic Drainage Therapy.
A massage helps reduce fluid buildup like swelling and edema and can help reduce bruising.
Massage Therapy and Your Immune system
While more research is needed to determine all the ways massage may enhance your immune system, Swedish massage is known to increase white blood cells, which protect from disease, and may decrease the number of inflammatory chemicals in your body.
Relieve pain with medical and therapeutic massage
Massage therapy shines when it comes to alleviating pain. Massage stimulates special receptors and nerves that send pain messages to your brain, essentially short-circuiting pain receptors which reduces pain.
Have you ever heard of substance P? It is the name for the neurotransmitter in your brain which is closely associated with pain sensations.
While massage is recommended as the first line of treatment for lower back pain, it’s helpful for many other painful conditions from head to toe. Migraines, neck strains, shoulder pain, hip problems, knee pain, and if you are like me, I use massage to manage issues with my ankles and plantar fasciitis.
Massage lowers anxiety and improves your sleep
The Mayo Clinic reports a 60-minute massage can lower cortisol, the stress hormone, by up to 30 percent after just one session.
Considering the degree of overall relaxation produced by a massage, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that it can improve your sleep and reduce anxiety.
The benefits extend to health conditions, too. For example, massage improves sleep in patients with metastatic cancer and congestive heart failure.
Additionally, it reduces anxiety and improves sleep in patients who’ve had cardiac surgery and who are undergoing chemotherapy and cancer treatments.
Different types of massage provide customized therapy
The therapists at Massage Therapy Center of Sylvania have extensive experience in medical massage techniques, from the light strokes of Lymphatic Drainage Therapy to treat swelling to deep tissue massage to relieve back pain and sciatica and sports massage designed to boost your performance. Drawing from their diverse repertoire of techniques, our Toledo area massage therapists create massage treatment that’s customized for your health and relaxation needs.
We also offer specialized massage techniques, such as:
We use a vacuum pump with our cups instead of a flame! During your massage, we adjust the cup with enough suction to slightly pull your skin into the cup and hold the cup in place. Cupping therapy boosts blood flow, relaxes tight muscles, and loosens the underlying connective tissue, much like a deep massage.
Hot stone massage
Smooth stones are warmed and placed on key areas of your body. After the heat has time to relax your muscles, we use the stones to massage the area.
Maximize the benefits of your massage with assisted stretching. Stretching massage is the ultimate way to get a deep stretch, safely and effectively. build your flexibility and range of motion while relieving pain with massage.
If you’re ready to explore the great benefits of massage and learn how it can improve your health call Massage Therapy Center of Sylvania (419) 705-4994