How massage therapy provides stress relief

Stress is necessary for survival.  Every day is typically full of activities that elicit the stress response, like driving in traffic, having an important meeting, disciplining children, rushing because you’re late, or any other common daily activities. It is also essential to our health to have relief from these stressful moments. It’s not healthy physically or mentally to remain in a heightened stress state. Constant, unrelenting stress can quickly turn into emotional, psychological, and physical distress if not relieved.

Distress is the physical manifestation of the effects of stress on the human body. These symptoms include, but are not limited to, headaches, nausea, anxiety, increased blood pressure, insomnia, and chest pain or tightness. These symptoms can also lead to decreased libido, muscle pain and tension, depression, and fatigue.

Stress also has a profound effect on one’s mental state. Prolonged stress is known to cause changes in mood, including anxiety, irritability, restlessness, anger, depression, and lack of motivation. These mood changes can also lead to behavioral changes such as drug or alcohol abuse, eating disorders, smoking (or other tobacco use), and even social withdrawal. Thankfully, massage can help keep you healthy and reverse the effects of too much stress.

How Massage Therapy Relieves Stress

Massage can alleviate most if not all of the symptoms caused by stress. Massage therapy has been proven through scientific research to decrease heart rate and blood pressure, release muscle tension, increase endorphin production, increase the release of dopamine and serotonin, and provide a general feeling of calmness. Massage therapy counteracts the unhealthy level of physical, psychological, and emotional stress most of us carry around.

These proven stress-relieving benefits of massage should provide enough of a reasonable argument to try massage therapy next time you are in need of stress relief. You get to lie down, listen to relaxing music, and escape the worries and troubles of your daily existence. Your massage will leave you in a refreshed state of mind and allow you to feel ready to tackle the world again. This is why massage therapy and stress relief go hand-in-hand. After your first 60-minute session, you can expect to leave with a lower heart rate as well as lowered levels of stress hormones like cortisol and insulin.

Are you ready to experience what a professional massage can do for your health and well-being?  lets you find massage therapists near you, check real-time availability, and even book a massage online quickly and easily.