Last week I wrote specifically about two studies that demonstrated massage therapy’s marked ability to improve the symptoms of autism and asthma. These bring up the perspective of massage therapy as a holistic therapy in the overall conclusions that they make.
The idea of massage therapy as a complementary therapy that can relieve the symptoms of more serious health conditions is something that has been raised in the numerous other studies and scientific conclusions that we’ve written about here (in regard to cancer patients, old age, eating disorders, etc.) and is a major conclusion of the two studies cited last week.
The fact that massage therapy can reduce levels of stress and anxiety means that it can be used as a complement for all people, whether they are suffering from a more serious disease, or just trying to cope with their day-to-day lives.
Furthermore, massage therapy can be a tool to bond us all closer together. As the article by the Healthy Fellow points out, massage therapy has been demonstrated to help parents with autistic children feel closer to their children as their therapeutic touch provides them with a bond that they would not have felt otherwise.
This idea of massage therapy building close relationship is something we have written about in our entry about babies and massage therapy, and is furthered in our entry about geriatric massage that stated that massage therapy can be a great way to not only improve symptoms of old age, but can also serve as a way to combat feelings of isolation among older people.
Simply put, massage therapy can reduce levels of stress and anxiety, while building strong relationships between children and parents, and people with the world.
Much is made of what people do in their daily lives and the relationships that they build. Massage therapy should be seen as something that complements our abilities to be successful and strengthens the relationships that are most important to us. Whether from a specific, or a holistic point of view, the benefits of massage therapy are truly profound.