The Benefits of Massage Therapy

Most of us think of massage as a treat: an hour to unwind, a clear head and loose shoulders on the way out. But massage can do more than pamper you. It can ease muscle tension, calm stress and help you feel better in your body.

Here are the real benefits of massage therapy, what the research does and doesn’t show, and when hands-on care is better paired with a physical therapy plan that fixes the cause of your pain.

1. It Eases Stress and Anxiety

Stress shows up in the body as a racing heart, shallow breathing and tight muscles. Massage can trigger the opposite, a relaxation response that slows your heart rate and helps you feel calmer. A large review of massage research found a single massage reduced anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate in the short term, and a series of sessions reduced anxiety and depression (Moyer et al., 2004).

2. It Relaxes Tight, Sore Muscles

Massage helps release tense muscles, improves flexibility and can ease soreness after hard training or a long day of yard work. Many people find it helps them move more comfortably.

3. It Can Ease Some Back Pain, for a While

For people with ongoing low back pain, a Cochrane review found massage gave short-term pain relief compared with no treatment, though the quality of the evidence was low and the effect didn’t last long (Furlan et al., 2015). That is the key point: massage can help you feel better, but it doesn’t change why your back keeps getting tight.

4. It Can Help You Sleep Better

When your body is relaxed and less sore, it is easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Many people find a massage, or simple self-massage before bed, helps them wind down.

5. It Supports Better Posture

Hours at a desk or behind the wheel on I-75 leave the chest, neck and upper back tight. Loosening those muscles makes it easier to sit and stand tall, especially when you follow it with posture and strength exercises.

Massage Therapy vs Hands-On Physical Therapy

Massage focuses on the muscles. A Doctor of Physical Therapy also uses hands-on techniques, such as soft-tissue work, joint mobilization and stretching, but starts by finding why the area is tight or painful. Often, a muscle needs strengthening more than it needs rubbing, or the real problem is a stiff joint somewhere else in the chain.

That is why our manual therapy is always paired with exercise and movement retraining. For a full comparison, read physical therapy versus massage therapy and manual therapy versus exercise therapy.

When Massage Isn’t Enough

Massage is a great part of a healthy routine. But if pain keeps coming back as soon as the massage wears off, it is time to find the cause. Get checked right away for:

• Numbness, tingling or weakness: in an arm or leg
• Pain after a fall or accident
• A swollen, red, hot or painful calf: which needs medical care before any massage
• Night pain, fever or unexplained weight loss: along with your pain

Research

• Moyer, C. A., Rounds, J., & Hannum, J. W. (2004). A meta-analysis of massage therapy research. Psychological Bulletin, 130(1), 3–18. PubMed
• Furlan, A. D., Giraldo, M., Baskwill, A., Irvin, E., & Imamura, M. (2015). Massage for low-back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CD001929. PubMed

Get Relief That Lasts

If tight muscles and aches keep coming back, our hands-on manual physical therapy treats the tissue and the cause, with The Gray Method™, one-on-one with a Doctor of Physical Therapy at our clinics in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Estero.

Start with our Fixing the Cause & Not Just the Symptoms Assessment, or Inquire About an Appointment →

Call our office at (239) 223-0484 to schedule your appointment.