6 Conditions Massage Therapy Can Help Treat
Massage therapy is one of the most popular types of integrative medicine. During a massage, a therapist uses varying degrees of pressure and different movements to manipulate the soft tissues of your body. Massage therapy can help reduce stress and anxiety, manage digestive disorders, reduce fibromyalgia symptoms, and improve sleep quality.
If you’re looking for Seatac massage therapy, reach out to the experts at Ascent Chiropractic. Our skilled team is on hand to help you alleviate pain and promote healing.
There are a host of reasons why people start massage therapy. Here are some of the most common reasons why people turn to massage therapy treatment.
Muscle Tension and Pain
Muscle strains and sprains can result from repetitive injuries that occur when you stress a muscle by doing the same activity/motion over and over. Massage therapy can help manage muscle tension and pain, and reduce inflammation. It boosts circulation to fast-track injury recovery.
Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety can affect your quality of life. Massage therapy can help relax the mind, reducing symptoms of stress and anxiety disorders. It stimulates the body to increase the production of endorphins and other feel-good hormones. These hormones reduce pain and improve mood by promoting happiness and pleasure.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder. It causes widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and cognitive problems and can affect one’s quality of life. Massage therapy can help manage fibromyalgia symptoms, including chronic pain, fatigue, and stiffness.
Headaches
Headaches can affect a person’s ability to concentrate and focus. As a result, their performance at school or work could take a hit. Many people with tension headaches have difficulty navigating everyday life. Headaches can be caused by stress, hormonal changes, and sinus issues.
Regardless of the reason, regular massage sessions can reduce the frequency and severity of headaches. Massage therapy improves blood circulation, helping ensure that your neck and head muscles get enough nutrients and oxygen. Regular massage sessions can help prevent inflammation, a common cause of headaches.
Hypertension
Hypertension can cause serious, even irreparable damage to the heart and coronary arteries, and increase a person’s risk of heart attack, stroke, heart disease, and congestive heart failure. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause irreversible damage to the kidneys. One of the primary ways massage therapy helps lower blood pressure is by reducing stress.
Tense muscles can lead to poor circulation, and in some cases, hypertension. Massage therapy relieves muscle tension and stiffness, helps improve circulation, and reduces blood pressure.
In humans, the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for promoting the body’s rest and digest response. Massage can stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system. When activated, this system slows the heart rate and allows blood vessels to dilate, leading to a decrease in blood pressure.
Sciatica
Sciatica is a common condition. It is characterized by pain or weakness in one leg (or in rare cases both legs). Massage therapy helps reduce pressure on the sciatic nerve. It promotes healing, reduces stress (which can cause muscles to tense up), and can help improve flexibility and range of motion.
At Ascent Chiropractic, we use time-tested chiropractic techniques to strengthen and stabilize the body. Our whole body approach to care involves looking at the whole person. To learn more, call 206-241-3836.