There is nothing like the feeling after having a really good massage. You know, when your body is relaxed and you feel like you just woke up from a really deep sleep. You’ll be happy to know that while an occasional massage leaves you feeling great, regular massage can do so much more. Regular massage can make positive changes in people’s lives because the work your therapist does in each session builds on the next, giving you better results as your body re-learns how to relax. This helps you (physical and mental) better maintain a relaxed state during the stresses of daily life better.

This is proven by how massage is generally considered part of complementary and integrative medicine. It’s increasingly being offered along with standard treatment for a wide range of medical conditions and situations.

Studies of the benefits of massage demonstrate that it is an effective treatment for reducing stress, pain and muscle tension.

While more research is needed to confirm the benefits of massage, some studies have found massage may also be helpful for:

• Anxiety
• Digestive disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches
• Insomnia related to stress
• Myofascial pain syndrome
• Soft tissue strains or injuries
• Sports injuries
• Temporomandibular joint pain

So brush aside any thoughts that massage is only a feel-good way to indulge or pamper yourself. Massage is a powerful tool to help you take charge of your health and well-being, whether you have a specific health condition or are just looking for another stress reliever. Massage is also an important part of self-care and can be a healing tool when one is working towards self-love and self-compassion.You can even learn how to do self-massage or how to engage in massage with a partner at home.