Relax, rejuvenate, and de-stress with the power of massage therapy. Learn how to achieve a deeper sense of relaxation through massages!
It’s true, massages have been around for thousands of years. This is due to its ability to provide relaxation to the body.
Utilized worldwide, India and China were the two that can be traced back to the earliest. Massages were considered a “sacred system of natural healing” in India. Pain relief, healing of injuries, and prevention of illnesses were all reasons for massage therapy.
Massages were frequently used in ancient China for improved circulation and treatment of illness.
Greeks and Romans used massages for a more therapeutic purpose. The earliest forms of spa could be found in Roman culture where you could take a bath and get a full-body massage.
Do massages have health benefits?
Luckily the answer is yes! Massages can be very beneficial for overall health:
- Muscle tension relief
- Stress reduction
- Better quality of sleep
- Pain management
Each will be delved into, but the next time someone says a spa day isn’t worth it, they may just not know all of the possible benefits!
Muscle tension relief
One of the main reasons anyone gets a massage is the relief that follows the release of tension in the muscles. As we age, our muscles become more stiff and due to this pain and stress can build up.
It is important to relieve tension in the muscles because if left unattended for long periods of time, many factors can be affected or increased. These include:
- Mobility and flexibility: Tension restricts range of motion and limits flexibility.
- Pain: Increased tension in muscles can cause great amounts of discomfort and pain.
- Muscle imbalances and injuries: Muscles filled with tension can lead to certain muscles becoming too tight or weak. This can lead to injury due to a lack of strength.
- Circulation: Tension in muscles affects blood circulation. This causes a disruption in the delivery of nutrients to the body.
- Posture: Due to weakened muscles, muscle tension can cause strain on the joints as well, making for poor posture.
- Stress: Discomfort does nothing for the prevention of stress. If anything, more pain and lack of circulation and mobility can cause more stress mentally and physically.
Stress reduction
Another large reason massages are so popular; is the effects they can have on stress levels. This is because massages are designed to signal the body to relax, thus lowering levels of stress.
One of the best parts of a massage, which is what we will soon dive into, is the benefits that massages have on the quality of sleep. As we all know, sleep can be difficult to attain. But we know that those who regulate their sleep schedules tend to have lower stress levels.
Massages help to release feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. These chemicals help us to feel good, and experience lower levels of stress.
Better quality of sleep
The combination of what we have talked about so far helps to make massages so helpful for the quality of sleep.
- Lower levels of stress: Stress has a large impact on the quality of sleep. High levels of stress have even been known to lead to sleep disorders.
- Higher presence of relaxing and positive neurotransmitters: Feel-good neurotransmitters help us to feel relaxed and happy, making sleep much easier to attain.
- Lower levels of pain: With relieved muscle tension and better posture, pain can be significantly lowered.
- Improved circulation: With proper nutrients and blood flow through the body, circulation isn’t blocked, making sleep better.
Massages can also help to regulate the autonomic nervous system. You may ask, what is the autonomic nervous system? Well, the autonomic nervous system is what controls involuntary bodily functions; examples of this include homeostasis and response to internal and external stimuli.
Some at-home massages you can do for better sleep include:
- Scalp massage: Use your fingertips and massage your scalp starting from your forehead, to the back of the head.
- Self-foot massage: Use your hands or a small, ball-like object and apply pressure to different areas of the feet; specifically the arches, heels, and balls of your feet. Move in circular or back-and-forth movements.
- Neck and shoulder massage: Use your fingertips or palms to apply pressure to the sides and back of your neck. Go down to your shoulders and use circular, and kneading techniques. These kinds of massages can make all the difference in sleep problems.
- Hand and wrist massage: Use your thumb or fingers to apply gentle pressure to the hands and wrists. Move in a circular motion and notice where you feel areas of tightness.
- Full body massage: If you have someone around you to help you with this, use them! If not, it is still possible to give yourself a full-body massage. Lie down on a mat or bed and allow your hands, fists, or massage tools (if you have them) to knead and apply pressure to different parts of the body. Start from the head and work down, again make sure you take note in areas of tension.
We at Relaxium know how difficult it can be to get quality sleep. This is why our founder. Clinical Neurologist and sleep expert, Dr. Eric Ciliberti created Relaxium Sleep. Relaxium Sleep is a sleep supplement designed to help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and have you waking up feeling refreshed and alert.
Pain management
The science of massages is to apply pressure to the muscles. Doing this helps to relax the muscles as well as relieve tension that has built up inside of them. The practice of massages over time can help the stiffness which can help to alleviate pain.
Massages also have the capability of enhancing pain tolerance. Because you are consistently working on pains felt throughout the body, sensitivity and discomfort will start to decrease.
Take a spa day for better sleep
Getting a massage can be extremely beneficial, especially if seeking relaxation to better sleep. We hope that these tips make for a better night’s sleep!
Relaxium offers a number of safe and effective supplements that aid in the categories of sleep, calm, focus, and immunity. Created by Clinical Neurologist and Sleep Expert, Dr. Eric Ciliberti, TryRelaxium.com offers a 30–day trial of Relaxium Sleep to allow our users to truly experience its effects. To try the product today visit our website for more information.
To restful and healthy days ahead.
The Relaxium Team
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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