Pain Management

Everyone knows that a good massage can help alleviate the pain associated with tight muscles, but did you know that getting a massage actually reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol while boosting the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine. Those changes slow your heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and block your nervous system's pain receptors. Massage also increases blood flow to the muscles, which may help them heal faster. This is why massage helps ease the pain of migraines, labor pain, cancer and even fibromyalgia.

Immune system

Stress, lack of sleep and poor nutrition are all common causes of a bad immune system. Massage helps increase your ability to sleep and reduces stress. Did you know that Cortisol, the stress hormone destroys the body’s “natural bug killer cells”? Massage reduces the levels of cortisol in the body, therefore boosting the number of “natural bug killer cells” in your system as well as reduces stress. This gives your body its first line of defense against common colds. Massage also gives a boost to those whose immune systems are compromised by disease, like cancer and HIV. Be sure to consult your doctor before receiving any treatment for chronic disease including massage.

A Good Night's Sleep

A good massage promotes relaxation and therefore promotes sleep, but massage also increases the number of delta waves in your brain. Delta waves are associated with deep sleep. That is why after a massage you get a really good night’s sleep.

Brain Power

Massage is a great way to boost your brain function, including memory. This is the reason that many employers, today, are promoting the use of 15-minute chair massages during the workday. Promoting brain wave activity, massage can provide an improved state of awareness and increase alertness, great for anyone who needs a boost of brain power within the 24 hours after a massage.

Goodbye Blues

That nasty little stress hormone cortisol increases stress, depression and anxiety. Since massage decreases cortisol and increases serotonin and dopamine this means less stress, depression and anxiety. Experts believe that when we are sad the right side of our brain is working overtime, but when we are happy the left side of the brain is more active. Research shows that massage decreases brain activity in the right side and increases activity in the left side. This is why doctors and hospitals offer massage to pre surgery patients with anxiety, and cancer patients going through chemo.

PMS

Massage has been shown to decrease pain, reduce swelling and bloating and help with mood swings during “that time of the month” in women.

In good health,