Massage therapy was once thought to be a luxury of the rich and famous.

However, today it has become mainstream for everyone from athletes, to young adults.  In fact, it’s the third most commonly used form of alternative medicine in the United States.

According to the American Massage Therapy Association consumers spend between 4 to 6 billon dollars a year on Massage Therapy.

So what is massage therapy?

Simply stated, it’s the physical manipulation of soft tissues to promote a positive effect and enhance your overall well-being. And the ultimate goal of massage therapy is to aid the body in healing itself and to increase all aspects of good health.

Regular visits to a registered massage therapist can reduce ailments like headaches, back pain, high blood pressure, neck pain, ulcers, and even heart disease.

Stress is responsible for 80 to 90% of these ailments. Because massage may reduce stress levels, many physicians are now recommending it to their patients.

By the way, there are as many as 8 to 10 different styles of massage therapy. And the top three are:

Deep Tissue
Releases chronic patterns of tension throughout your body. The pressure applied is targeted to the deeper layers of the tissues.

Reflexology
This style works off different points of the hands and feet. These points are connected to other areas of the body. And by manipulating these points, it can release tension in areas such as the neck and lower back.

Sports Therapy
There are 3 different categories of sports therapy. They’re maintenance, event, and rehabilitation. Maintenance helps the athlete maintain optimal performance. While event massage therapy is done before, during, and after competition. And rehabilitation is a series of techniques to help maintain acute and chronic pain.

Now what are the four main health benefits of massage therapy?

Physical benefits are:

•  Calms the nervous system
•  Lowers blood pressure
•  Reduces chronic pain
•  Speeds recovery time of injuries
•  Reduces tension headaches
•  Improves immune system
•  Reduces heart rate
•  Increases blood circulation

Emotional benefits are:

•  Reduces stress levels
•  Helps control anxiety levels
•  Promotes feelings of well-being
•  Helps decrease feelings of depression

Mental benefits are:

•  Improves sleep
•  Improves concentration and creativity
•  Reduces mental stress
•  Helps create body awareness and mind-body connection

Medical benefits are:

•  Reduces carpel tunnel syndrome
•  Arthritis relief
•  Circulatory problems
•  Constipation and diarrhea
•  Allergies and Asthma

It’s important to drink plenty of water before and after a massage. That’s because water will help eliminate toxins from the body and prevent lactic acid from building up in the muscles.

So what are you waiting for? Start your prevention today!

You’ll be glad you did.