Typical Conditions That Massage Can Treat

The therapeutic benefits of massage are diverse for both the body and the mind, and it can be an effective treatment for various medical disorders. It’s one of the oldest therapeutic techniques in history, with references dating back over 4,000 years.

Since there are so many different massage techniques and styles, massage can precisely target different body parts, making it a flexible therapy choice that can be highly individualized and adapted to each person’s needs.

We’ve included a few common ailments that massage can help with below. We firmly advise you to speak with your healthcare provider to ascertain whether massage therapy is the best option. Additionally, one of our skilled massage therapists at a Massage Experts location close to you is delighted to go over our range of services with you.

Humans are capable of carrying a lot of tension throughout their bodies. Muscle tension can significantly affect how we feel and function from our jaw to our feet, and it can result in a lot of pain in many people. Long-term exposure to severe discomfort can result in problems like chronic pain, which many people deal with daily.

During a massage, muscle tension and chronic pain can be considerably reduced through pressure on the body. By using a variety of techniques, massage can stretch out the uncomfortable tissue that contributes to feelings of tightness and improve blood circulation in the sore spots. Together, these things can help muscles loosen up and reduce pain.

Regular massages on painful or tense areas can help maintain your muscles relaxed over time and continuously, thanks to muscle memory. A study on neck discomfort discovered that receiving a 60-minute massage at least twice a week can considerably reduce pain and long-term neck dysfunction.

Migraines & Headaches

Over 2.7 million Canadians are thought to suffer from migraines, making it a rather prevalent medical ailment. The moderate to severe pain that migraines produce, along with a variety of other accompanying symptoms, can significantly impact how one feels and functions.

The neck might significantly contribute to the discomfort when it comes to headaches, such as tension-style headcases and migraines. For instance, in a study on migraines, more than half of the participants claimed that neck pain is a related, co-occurring sensation when one suffers a migraine. This is why massaging certain trigger points, like those in the neck, can result in major benefits by reducing the overall pain a person feels.

Insufficient blood flow can also frequently be the cause of the discomfort linked to headaches and migraines. Massage can aid in releasing knots and painful tissue by concentrating on the upper body (shoulders, neck, and upper back) and increasing the amount of oxygen and nutrients that must be provided to our muscles.

TMJ (Pain in the jaw)
When using the jaw, one may experience pain and tightness due to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in the jaw being excessively tense for a number of causes, such as a result of an injury or emotional stress. If left untreated, this can develop into a TMJ condition and cause pain for a very long time.

A TMJ massage can be a very helpful method to help alleviate this problem if you frequently clench or tens your jaw or feel jaw pain. A massage therapist can target the source of the discomfort in the jaw and upper cheekbone region and work with the jaw muscle to reduce swelling, enhance blood flow, and speed recovery.

Arthritis
One in two Canadians over the age of 65 currently suffer from arthritis, making it a rather common condition. Although there are wide different varieties of arthritis, they can all impair movement and result in general pain or aches in the affected areas.

Massage can help reduce arthritis-related discomfort while also enhancing total joint motion and muscle flexibility. For instance, massages that concentrate on improving circulation can assist people with rheumatoid arthritis manage its adverse effects, such as discomfort.

Seniors in particular, who may also have issues with flexibility, can gain a lot from massage because it can relieve physical discomfort brought on by disorders like arthritis as well as loosen up tight muscles and increase circulation.

Stress and worry

Although massage cannot cure anxiety or reverse the consequences of stress in and of itself, it can support the chemical processes in the body that increase emotions of well-being. Our “happy hormone” (dopamine) and our mood-stabilizing hormone (serotonin), which are both increased when one has a massage, can make us feel happier and more relaxed by lowering the cortisol levels that rise when we feel stressed. In fact, it can boost those feel-good hormones by a whopping 30% on average!

Stress can also result in muscle tightness, other physical issues, and physical discomfort in the body. As a result, massage can be a useful tool for reducing and managing stress levels as well as for improving the physical symptoms that stress may bring on.