Having a massage from a loved one is great, but it’s tough to compete with the hands of a professional. A good massage therapist can make you feel like a new person. And now research suggests massage can ease insomnia, boost immunity, prevent PMS – and more. Maybe that’s why some hospitals are making it a standard therapy.
Researchers have found that massage is often more successful than treatments such as osteopathy & acupuncture and is especially effective for aches like lower-back pain. It’s not clear why, but several studies show massage reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol while boosting the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine. Those changes slow your heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and block your nervous system’s pain receptors. Massage also increases blood flow to the muscles, which may help them heal.
And an added bonus:
Massage can help ease distress from migraine, labour pain and even fibromyalgia
