Medical Benefits Of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy isn't just a fluff-and-buff spa pampering. In addition to being offered in spas, massage is widely available in hospitals, chiropractic offices, student clinics, malls, airports and corporate office environments. Because interest in massage therapy has expanded, more research has been done to confirm that it can offer multiple medical benefits.

Pain Reduction

Massage therapy can be more effective than acupuncture and chiropractic care in reducing back pain, according to the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle. Massage can also reduce pain associated with migraines, childbirth, cancer and fibromyalgia, according to the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine. One main reason may be because massage has been shown to reduce the stress hormone cortisol and boost the pain-alleviating hormones dopamine and serotonin. This hormonal shift leads to a slower heart rate, lowered blood pressure and blocked pain receptors.

Improved Immunity

The hormone cortisol can diminish the body's defenses. Since massage can decrease cortisol, it bolsters the immune system's killer cells and helps fight off illnesses. As a result, a person whose immune system is already compromised, such as a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy, may receive the boost he needs from weekly massages. However, a patient with a compromised immune system should first seek approval from his doctor before committing to a massage regimen.

Stress Reduction

Since massage can reduce the stress hormone cortisol and increase feel-good hormones such as serotonin, it also offers stress relief. The Mayo Clinic recognizes massage therapy as a method of reducing anxiety in women with anorexia, children with depression and people quitting smoking. Moreover, a study at the ORYGEN Research Centre in Australia found that massage therapy had immediate "de-escalating" effects in acutely hospitalized psychiatric patients with stress and anxiety.

Improved Sleep

Brainwaves change throughout different stages of sleep. According to a study at the Touch Research Institute, massage therapy can increase delta waves, or the waves that are linked with the deep part of sleep. This enables many clients to fall asleep on the massage table and can help them sleep better at night.

Weight Gain in Premature Infants

Massage therapy can be a cost-effective way to help preterm infants gain weight, said a study at the Touch Research Institute. Preterm infants who received brief periods of massage therapy for five days gained 53 percent greater weight per day than the control group. This study bolstered the outcome of previous studies that showed similar results after 10 days of massage therapy.