5 Things You Didn’t Know About Massage Therapy
Updated: Jan 17, 2022
1. Massage therapy is one of the oldest forms of medical care.
Massage therapy dates as far back to 2500 BC and has been utilized for centuries as a form of medical care. There are pictures found in Egyptian tombs of people receiving massage. Even Hippocrates, known as the “father of medicine” taught a form of massage called “friction” for the treatment of injuries.
2. An hour-long massage is the equivalent of 7-8 hours of sleep.
In our hectic world it is even more important to get the rest our bodies need to recover. If you have been feeling run down studies show that a massage can help with that recovery.
3. Massage therapy has a positive effect on the immune system
A study by Cedars-Sinai’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences (1) showed that one massage can positively affect the number of lymphocytes (a white blood cell responsible for helping defend the body against disease). The study also showed one massage can also decrease the hormone Arginine Vasopressin (AVP) which can lead to an overall decrease in the stress hormone cortisol.
4. Massage therapy can help lower blood pressure
In 2005, a study at the University of South Florida (2) tested the effects of regularly applied back massage on the blood pressure of patients with clinically diagnosed hypertension. Based on significant point reductions in both systolic and diastolic pressure readings, researchers concluded that regular massage lowers blood pressure in people with hypertension.
5. Massage therapy has been used in stroke rehabilitation
Touch massage helped rehabilitate 50 stroke patients by decreasing anxiety and pain, improving the quality of life and sensorimotor functions. It increased activity in brain regions associated with feelings of pleasure and emotional regulation (3).
References:
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16267371/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4743203/
Comments