It has been well over a year since this blog came into existence, and in that time it has focused a lot on the health benefits of massage. Just for the sake of cohesion, here is a list of all the benefits written about in this blog (and some new ones not yet covered). This impressive list shows well the large amount of therapeutic benefits that massage provides.
For starters, about a month ago there was a posting on this blog about the many proven (scientifically-tested) therapeutic benefits of massage that had been published in the AMTA annual report. These benefits included:
– Relief from:
o Post-operative pain.
o Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome
o Low back pain
o Alcohol withdrawal symptoms
o Cancer-related fatigue
o High blood pressure
o Osteoarthritis of the knee
o Frequent headaches
– Boosting of the immune system.
More research has shown other therapeutic benefits of massage therapy. They include:
– Help with the treatment of several diseases and disorders, including:
o Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
o Insomnia
o Arthritis
o Depression
o Diabetes
o Repetitive stress injuries
– Assistance with other conditions, such as:
o Pregnancy
o Stress
o Old age
This last one is particularly interesting as geriatric massage not only helps seniors by improving range of movement (leading to less falls), but it also can have the much more intangible benefit of providing companionship to people that can often times be lonely.
This improvement in quality of life is sometimes hard to quantify, but it can be one of the most important reasons for which people get massage. For example, massage can help with people’s flexibility and range of motion, which can mean fewer falls, something that can be measured and seen. But it also can mean improvements in more intangible areas, such as better performances in sports, dance, martial arts, and yoga. And improvement in these more luxurious pursuits can often be of paramount significance.
After all, when people pursue what makes them happy – and succeed at it – it can keep them mentally and physically strong, a great intangible that should be added to the many tangible benefits of massage.
If you have any suggestions about other benefits of massage therapy – tangible or intangible – leave them in a comment.