Benefits

Therapeutic massage involves the manipulation of the soft tissue structures of the body both to prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasm, and stress, and to promote health and wellness. Massage therapy improves functioning of the circulatory, lymphatic, muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems and may improve the rate at which the body recovers from injury and illness.

Numerous studies are proving the effectiveness of massage for easing symptoms of headaches, osteoarthritis, sleep disorders (including fibromyalgia), anxiety, depression, stress, and chronic pain. Massage has long been used to improve athletic performance and reduce chances of injury for athletes.

Massage gives pain relief without drugs or surgery. Trigger point work:

• breaks into the chemical and neurological feedback loop that maintains muscle contraction
• increases circulation that has been restricted by the contracted tissue
• directly stretches the trigger point’s knotted muscle fibers

Receiving massage and bodywork on a consistent basis is more beneficial than receiving it infrequently. A single massage is enjoyable, but as with exercise, the therapeutic benefits of massage are cumulative. The more massage you get, the more benefit it provides.

General Benefits and Wellness

• Why Should I Get a Massage? (pdf brochure)
• The Benefits of Massage: Is Bodywork Right For Me? (massagetherapy.com)
• Benefits of Massage (holisticonline.com)
• Wellness Drives Americans' Growing Use of Massage Therapy (AMTA)

Benefits of Frequency

• The Benefits of Frequent Massage (pdf brochure)

Pain Control

• Massage for Pain Control (holisticonline.com)

Surgical Recovery

• Acute Postoperative Pain Management Using Massage as an Adjuvant Therapy: A Randomized Trial Allison R. Mitchinson, MPH, NCTMB; Hyungjin Myra Kim, ScD; Jack M. Rosenberg, MD; Michael Geisser, PhD; Marvin Kirsh, MD; Dolores Cikrit, MD; Daniel B. Hinshaw, MD. Arch Surg. 2007;142(12):1158-1167.
• Massage therapy for cancer patients: a reciprocal relationship between body and mind. S.M. Sagar MD, T. Dryden MEd RMT, R.K. Wong MD
• Post Surgical Massage May Ease Pain and Anxiety
• Post-Op Rx: Get a Massage
• Scar Massage

Lymphatic Drainage Benefits

Lymphatic drainage massage reduces swelling and pain, promotes healing of injuries and scars, and gives a boost to your immune system to help your body prevent illnesses. Consider getting a lymphatic drainage massage before each season change to help your body fight off the colds going around at that time.

• The Benefits of Lymphatic Massage: Discover How To Boost Energy and Immunity By Cathy Ulrich
• Edema and Lymphedema: Are They Different? By Kalyani Premkumar

Arthritis

• Benefits of Massage for Arthritis (my article)
• Remedies for Osteoarthritis By Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa

Diabetes

• Diabetes: Massage as an Adjunct Treatment by Mary Kathleen Rose, CMT
• Google Answers - 1
• Google Answers - 2
• Is Massage Useful in the Management of Diabetes? A Systematic Review Jeanette Ezzo, MsT, MPH, PhD, Thomas Donner, MD, Diane Nickols, BA, PA-C and Mary Cox, MsT, BS. Diabetes Spectrum 14:218-224, 2001
• Therapeutic Massage and Diabetes by Mary Kathleen Rose

Fibromyalgia

• Massage Helps Fibromyalgia
• Treating Fibromyalgia: Massage Therapy as a Beneficial Tool By Ross Turchaninov and Boris Prilutsky

Research Citations on the Efficacy of Massage Therapy

Massage Therapy Research Abstracts