Austin Spa

Massage therapy is among the most popular treatments offered at spas, with many people choosing to take advantage of this type of therapy to aid relaxation or ease sore muscles. But what exactly can massage therapy do and how does it provide those numerous benefits?

Massage Relaxes
Massage therapy is perhaps best known for its relaxing properties. Massage therapy is particularly useful when your body is under stress and tense. If you feel tense or stressed, your body can produce unhealthy levels of cortisol, the stress-hormone associated with sleeplessness, headaches, digestive problems, and sleeplessness. With a massage, you can reduce the level of cortisol, helping your body enter recovery mode and reducing these negative effects.
On a similar vein to providing relaxation, massage therapy also reduces stress. If you get regular massages, you may notice a boost to your energy levels, a reduction in pain, and an improvement to your emotional levels.

Massage Relaxes Muscles
In addition to the emotional relaxation associated with massage therapy, it also leads to muscle relaxation, which is another one of the most commonly known benefits. In fact, one of the biggest purposes of massages is to target body pain at its source. This type of therapy can relax the affected muscles, increase flexibility, and eliminate tenseness in the muscles. This benefit is achieved since massages promote circulation to the area and that, in turn, improves the flow of oxygen and nutrients to damaged tissues. At the same time, the increased activity via the massage reduces swelling and stiffness in the muscles. It even releases endorphins, which are pain-killing hormones.

Massage Lowers Blood Pressure
Research has also shown connections between lower levels of blood pressure and regular massage therapy. There have even been long-term studies that indicated consistent massages can reduce both diastolic and systolic blood pressure.

Massage Boosts Circulation
Over time, repeated massage therapy sessions can also work to improve your circulation. This leads to a massive influx of benefits, since every part of the body will get the nutrients it needs, including oxygen and blood. The hands-on movement of massages can encourage the blood to flow through areas of the body. The motion also helps get lactic acid out of muscle tissues, which improves the circulation of lymph fluids. This fluid brings metabolic waste products from internal organs, improving the overall functionality of your body.

Massage Improves Posture
Those who regularly engage in massage therapy may also notice an improvement in their posture. It is incredibly common for Americans to suffer from poor posture that leads to muscle, neck, or back pain. Massage can deliver immediate pain relief and help the problem in the long-term by improving the posture. It does so by helping your body align up properly again. This occurs via the process of loosening tense muscles and relaxing the body while improving joint flexibility.

When To Take Advantage Of These Benefits
You do not need a reason to enjoy a relaxing session of massage therapy, but it can be particularly helpful when it comes to treating muscle tension, pain, and stress. There have also been studies showing that massages help with sports injuries, soft tissue injuries or strains, myofascial pain syndrome, temporomandibular joint pain, anxiety, fibromyalgia, headaches, insomnia from stress, and digestive disorders.