Benefits of a Regular Massage

For many of us, the thought of getting a regular massage seems like a luxury or maybe something we get on a cruise or at a fancy spa. We’re so busy taking care of the others in our lives that we forget to take care of ourselves.  In fact, regular massage has been shown to provide a myriad of health benefits that reach well beyond relaxation and the relief of sore muscles. Massage has many physical and mental health benefits, can improve your sleep, and even your performance at work. 

Improve Mental Health

Regular massage has been proven to reduce the often overwhelming symptoms of depression and anxiety. Massage lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol by over 50%, while increasing levels of serotonin and dopamine - hormones that reduce depression and improve our outlook on life. While some stress can be a good thing for completing tasks or meeting a deadline, too much stress can have exactly the opposite effect. By reducing cortisol and increasing serotonin and dopamine, massage has been shown to help clients manage job-related stress and anxiety, allowing them greater enjoyment of their time at work as well as their time off the job.  

Improve Physical Health

Almost everyone will experience back pain at some point in their life, and regular massage is an effective weapon against this. Whether the pain originates from injury, exercise, or just normal wear and tear, massage therapy helps to counteract pain and stiffness and allows the patient to continue normal activities. Especially with so many Americans sitting for hours on end at their jobs, massage treatment can effectively treat the imbalances caused by our increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Sitting all day is actually very hard on your body, especially the postural muscles, and massage is extremely helpful in counteracting those imbalances.  Regular massage has also been proven to increase white blood cell counts, boosting the patient’s immunity and allowing your body to better fight disease.

Improve Productivity

Employers who offer chair massages as benefits are not only showing their employees how valuable they are by offering a great perk, they also may be increasing employee productivity! Even a short chair massage can boost alertness, reduce job-related stress, and generally improve the morale of your employees. Regular massage has also been proven to help patients manage and overcome sleep difficulties, enabling employees to stay focused, improve safety on the job, and experience increased productivity while at work. 

Whether you’re experiencing stress, anxiety, pain, or insomnia, regular massage can help alleviate and even cure what’s ailing you. For more information, or to schedule your appointment, Natural Therapy Wellness Center in McHenry is here to help! Check us out online at http://mchenrymassage.com/.