Massage Therapy and its Benefits To You

These days, it seems like everyone is hawking some new "natural health" or "alternative medicine" cure. Many such cures are marketed with pie-in-the-sky promises and sweeping statements that it can be very tough to evaluate. Unfortunately, the people selling such cures rarely seem concerned with providing any empirical evidence that these treatments work at all. This is a problem. Not only are people getting ripped off pursuing bogus techniques that don't work, they are also missing out on legitimate ones that do!

One such technique is massage therapy, which research has shown to have many significant health and wellness benefits. In this article, we'll explore a few of the most valuable benefits, as corroborated by various hospitals and studies.

One of the better-known benefits of massages is that they reduce anxiety and stress. This is usually taken on faith, but recent research has found that it is actually true! According to medical school students at the University of Medicine and Dentrist in New Jersey, students who recieved massages before an exam displayed a significant drop in anxiety, and an increase in white blood cell production. This suggests that massage therapy can create a calmer inner state before a stressful situation, as well as bolster one's immune sysetm and natural defenses.

High blood pressure is a major health concern, and massage therapy has been shown to assist in fighting it. A 1999 study entitled "High blood pressure and associated symptoms were reduced by massage therapy" conducted at the University of Miami School of Medicine found that study participants who recieved twice-weekly massage therapy reealized decreases in sitting diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Lower scores for hostility, depression, and anxiety were also found in the study's participants.

Still another study indicated that autistic children were less erratic and uncontrollable in their behavior after recieving massage therapy. This is an undeniable benefit that any parent of an autistic child would instantly recognize as valuable.

Besides making chronic medical problems less burdensome, massage therapy also helps people feel more comfortable in their day to day lives. For instance, research has shown that office workers who recieved regular massages were "more alert, performed better, and were less stressed" than co-workers who did not recieve massages.

Of course, one major reason people turn to massage therapy is for the mental benefits it offers. Our body is neither strictly biological (physical) nor strictly cognitive (mental); rather, it is more like hammock that swings back and forth until some type of balance is achieved. For this reason, the physical effects of a good massage (lower blood pressure, relaxed muscles, easier breathing) can directly translate to an improved mental state, such as greater peace of mind, the relief of mental stress, and the ability to think more calmly and rationally about problems and conflicts.

Sadly, some promoters of massage therapy still stretch the truth by claiming it can help you beat cancer or various other incurable diseases. There are several websites dedicated to these and other massage therapy myths which you would do well to investigate. While these outrageous claims should not be taken seriously, they should also not overshadow the many true, empirically-backed benefits massage therapy can offer a person who has realistic expectations.

Article Source: http://articlekarma.com

Fred Jones
chiropractic schools

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