What Are the Health Benefits of Massage Therapy?

Massage therapy has many wonderful physical health benefits, including:

Increases Circulation & Energy
Massage therapy increases circulation and moves blood throughout congested areas. Bringing oxygen-rich blood to tense muscles can help with overall healing and recovery.

Reduces Pain, Tension, & Soreness
By relieving tension, you can expect pain in the tendons, ligaments, joints, and muscles to be reduced. This type of therapy also stimulates nerve fibers that stop pain messages from reaching the brain.

Lowers Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
Massages are also known to lower blood pressure and heart rate. This can have immediate benefits for your cardiovascular health and prevent the development of heart disease.

Improves Immune Function
By increasing lymphatic flow, your immune function will be strengthened and improved. Increased circulation helps move healthy nutrients around the body and detoxifies harmful metabolic waste.

After a massage, your body will increase in blood and lymph circulation while returning to a relaxed state. This normalization of soft tissue releases pressure on the tendons, ligaments, and muscles. You can expect to have better alignment, balance, mobility, and flexibility after your massage appointment.

You may want to see a massage therapist if:

• You want a physically and mentally relaxing treatment.
• You want your circadian rhythm to stay normal or return to normal.
• You have body aches, muscle stiffness, or pain.
• You need help with stress and anxiety management.
• You are recovering from a sports injury.
• You want to relieve muscle tension.
• You want to increase joint mobility and flexibility.

Not only does massage therapy have physical health benefits, but it also has mental health benefits, including:

Reduces Stress & Anxiety
Massage therapy effectively reduces the stress hormone found in our bodies, called cortisol. Your anxiety will be significantly reduced with lowered cortisol levels and muscle tension.

Increases Relaxation
Massage therapy can increase relaxation, which is especially important for those who struggle with sleep. A calm environment and relaxing treatment will help you leave your worries at the door.

Improves Quality of Sleep
Massage therapy can help you get back to a normal sleep cycle. By raising serotonin levels, your quality of sleep will be improved and your circadian rhythm restored.

Relieves Symptoms of depression
An increase in serotonin and oxytocin levels can also help relieve symptoms of depression. Oxytocin, otherwise known as the cuddle hormone, is released due to feeling human touch, which can reduce feelings of loneliness.

If massage therapy sounds like it could benefit you, please schedule an appointment by giving our clinic a call or filling out our online appointment request form. Massage therapy is an amazing medical resource for the recovery of your physical and mental health. If you’re suffering from any source of pain or are looking for an integrative medicine service with both physical and mental health benefits, massage therapy could be the treatment for you. Golden State Medical Center looks forward to welcoming you into our clinic soon. We are located at 2551 San Ramon Valley Blvd. Suite 108. San Ramon, CA 94583. We serve patients from San Ramon CA, Dublin CA, Blackhawk CA, Danville CA, Alamo CA, Diablo CA, Dougherty CA, Tassajara CA, Livermore CA, and Pleasanton CA.