Benefits of Massage

What are the benefits of massage?

The definition of massage is the scientific and systematic manipulation of soft tissue. Soft tissue in this case means muscles, skin, connective tissue (i.e., fascia), ligaments and tendons.

Massage therapy has been well studied and more importantly, time tested. And there are some extremely beneficial things massage has been shown to do:

1) Massage increases circulation. This is one of the most important benefits. Massage helps increase circulation to the tissue. Why is this helpful? Because, very simply, circulation brings oxygen and nutrients to the cells and also removes waste products from the cells. Improving circulation helps the whole body. Any stagnation or interference with that process can cause lack of optimal blood flow, swelling and pain. It is extremely common to see people with areas that are tight and tender. These areas are referred to as ischemic tissue, or areas lacking optimal blood flow. Massaging the tender areas typically can help reduce the pain by improving circulation to those areas. Massage therapy has been shown to significantly improve circulation overall.

2) Massage stimulates the lymph system. The lymph system is an instrumental part of our immune system. When get sick, sometimes the lymph glands get swollen. This is a sign that our body is battling the infection. But physical injuries can also cause swelling. This swelling is a natural healthy response. However over a sustained period of time, the swelling can cause a slower recovery time. Interestingly enough, the lymph system doesn’t have a pump. It moves via exercise and deep breathing, as well as direct touch, like massage or manual lymph drainage.

In one study, it was suggested that the optimal breathing ratio to help pump the lymph was 1 – 4 – 2 . Meaning inhale for a count of 1, hold for a count of 4 and exhale for a count of 2. So if you could inhale for a count 4, you’d hold for a count of 16 and exhale for a count of 8. However if you do this, make sure you don’t strain or struggle in the attempt.