What Are the Benefits of Massage?

Love massages? You’re not alone.

You’re also not alone if you get stuck feeling just the tiniest bit guilty when treating yourself to a professional massage. After all, massages are an indulgent treat, right?

Get ready to let that guilt go.

Sure, massages are an indulgent treat, but they’re also an investment in your wellbeing and have serious benefits.

You don’t have to take our word for it – none other than the Mayo Clinic says “Massage can be a powerful tool to help you take charge of your health and well-being” and that “studies of the benefits of massage demonstrate that it is an effective treatment for reducing stress, pain and muscle tension.” And that’s not all. They also state that “some studies have found massage may also be helpful for:

• Anxiety
• Digestive disorders
• FibromyalgiaHeadaches
• Insomnia related to stress
• Myofascial pain syndrome
• Soft tissue strains or injuries
• Sports injuries
• Temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ)”

Of course, massage isn’t a substitute for regular medical care. But that’s an incredible list of potential benefits that go far beyond relaxation.

And don’t dismiss “relaxation” as a valid reason for massage. Chronic stress can have devastating effects on our health and quality of life. We’ve all heard how important it is to take moments to relax, but that’s so much easier said than done. When’s the last time you convinced yourself to put down the phone and truly shut off the world for an hour? Next to impossible, right?

That’s why it can be such a game-changer to have a massage appointment on the calendar. You’ve signed up, you’ve committed, and the only thing you need to do is show up.

Go ahead. It’s worth it, and you deserve it.