Unique mental, physical, and emotional benefits are enjoyed by those who regularly receive massage. But unless you’re attending massage school, you may not be aware of those advantages accrued when the body consistently enjoys the healing touch of massage.
Health Benefits of Regular Massage
A review of twenty-eight clinical trials revealed the following benefits of consistent massage.
- Relief for Work-Related Stress. Three different studies of Swedish massage found reduced occupational stress following regular massage sessions. In one study, sessions were just 15 minutes long, and yet due to their regularity, resulted in decreased work stress. One study of intensive care nurses who received twice weekly 25-minute massages for four weeks found that the stress reduction continued for two weeks after massage sessions had concluded.
- Better Sleep. Of the 28 trials examined here, 9 reported improved sleep for participants. According to the Mayo Clinic, sleep is critical for longevity. About a third of adults fail to get enough sleep, increasing the likelihood of dementia, heart attack, diabetes, and other negative health outcomes. Given that massage improves quality of sleep, it maximizes lifelong health.
- Lowered Stress and Anxiety. Studies of Swedish, chair, and back massage have found reduced anxiety for participants. The Swedish massage study found a decrease State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scores for acute care hospital nurses who received fifteen minutes of massage once per week for five weeks. The nurses in the control group, who did not receive massage, saw an increase in their STAI scores; their stress levels increased over the duration of the study.
Additional research reveals that more massage is even better. Twice weekly massage may have a greater impact on stress-related hormones than weekly massage, according to a study reviewed by the American Massage Therapy Association.
- Decreased Fatigue. Perhaps due to its ability to improve sleep, two of the twenty-eight studies reviewed have found that massage cuts fatigue. One of these studies had a large sample size of 1,290 cancer patients. (Intense fatigue is a common symptom of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.) A review of studies on massage therapy for chronic fatigue patients also found statistically significant improvement following massage therapy.
- Reduced Depression. A meta-analysis of research found that depression symptoms are alleviated through massage therapy. Likewise, the aforementioned study of 1,290 cancer patients concluded that massage alleviated signs of depression.
- Lower Blood Pressure and Heart Rate. There are many biological advantages to regularly seeing an LMT, as researchers of sports massage therapy have established. (See this article for more information on how these advantages might function in the body.) Advantages of receiving massage include improved mood, decreased stiffness, improved blood flow, and better range of motion. Athletes and coaches have recognized these benefits for years, hence the inclusion of a sports massage therapist on many teams’ rosters. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a professional athlete to enjoy massage-induced lowered blood pressure and heart rate, both harbingers of overall health.
- Decreased Nausea in Cancer Patients. Chemotherapy and other cancer treatments wreak havoc on one’s well-being, because medical science has not yet figured out how to kill cancer cells selectively. Chemotherapy, for instance, kills cancer cells but also kills many other fast-growing cells across the body, including hair follicles. (This explains cancer-related hair loss.) Nausea is one of the most pernicious side-effects of cancer treatments. Among massage benefits for cancer patients, consistent massage therapy has been found to decrease nausea.
If this testimonial to the power of massage has you asking how to become a massage therapist, we invite you to reach out to our admissions team online or via phone at 503-233-6500. If you’re not sure how you can afford consistent massage, we recommend our student massage clinic! Affordability is just one of multiple benefits of getting a massage from a student. Our online student massage clinic scheduler platform allows you to schedule massages with your preferred student therapist weeks and even months in advance, so you can pencil self-care into your planner.
Resources: https://www.drgraeme.com/articles/2019/08/regular-massage
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Qais-Gasibat/publication/318929943_Determining_the_Benefits_of_Massage_Mechanisms_A_Review_of_Literature/links/59862ea5aca27266ad9f7178/Determining-the-Benefits-of-Massage-Mechanisms-A-Review-of-Literature.pdf?_sg%5B0%5D=started_experiment_milestone&origin=journalDetail (This article focuses on benefits for athletes, but these sports massage benefits can also apply to the general population.)
https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/cumulative-effects-of-massage/
