Benefits of Massage

When asked what he attributed to his youthful vibrancy, the late great comedian Bob Hope said, “among other factors…I have a daily massage!”

Massage Benefits Chronic Neck Pain

Neck pain is a common health problem in the United States. People suffering from neck pain often turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Although therapeutic massage is one of the most popular CAM therapies for neck pain, little is known about its effectiveness for this condition.

In an NCCAM-funded study conducted at the Group Health Center in Seattle, 64 adults with neck pain persisting for at least 12 weeks…researchers concluded that therapeutic massage is safe and may have benefits for treating chronic neck pain…

Source: Sherman KJ, Cherkin DC, Hawkes RJ, et al. Randomized trial of therapeutic massage for chronic neck pain. Clinical Journal of Pain. 2009;25(3):233–238.

Massage Offers Back Pain Relief

More than 100 million Americans suffer from lower back pain, and nearly $25 billion a year is spent in search of relief. A 2003 study showed that massage therapy produced better results and reduced the need for painkillers by 36 percent when compared to other therapies, including acupuncture and spinal modification. Today, massage therapy is one of the most common ways people ease back pain.

Source: Annals of Internal Medicine, June 3, 2003

Massage Reduces Anxiety

An estimated 20 million Americans suffer from depression. A review of more than a dozen massage studies concluded that massage helps relive depression and anxiety by affecting the body’s biochemistry. In the studies reviewed, researchers measured the stress hormone cortisol participants before and immediately after massage and found that massage lowered cortisol levels by up to 53%.

Source: University of Miami School of Medicine

Massage Is Immensely Popular

Massage therapy has been a growing trend in American culture, with 39 million Americans adults – more than one out of every 6 – getting a massage annually. Twenty-five million more Americans each year are getting a massage today than they did 10 years ago.

Source: 2006 AMTA Annual Consumer Survey

Massage Lowers Blood Pressure

Hypertension if left unchecked, can lead to a host of health problems. Preliminary research shows that hypertensive patients who received three 10-minute back massages a week had a reduction in blood pressure, compared to patients who simply relaxed without a massage.

Source: Biological Research for Nursing, Vol. 7, No. 2, 98-105 (2005)

Massage Alleviates the Effects of Cancer

In a study of breast cancer patients, researchers found than those who were massaged three times a week reported lower levels of depression, anxiety and anger, while increasing “natural killer” cells and lymphocytes that help to battle cancerous tumors.

Source: University of Miami School of Medicine, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Volume 57, Issue 1, Pages 45-52, July 2004

How Can A Massage Chair Benefit Me?

By Michael Russell

At fancy gadget stores, you’ll often find at least one massage chair waiting for you to test. Moms, kids, or just about anyone will take advantage of a free massage. For some, the new massage chairs even look like Darth Vader’s bathtub. But are they buying the chair? Why would anyone want to buy a massage chair when you can go to a masseuse and get a quality massage. There are some compelling reasons why one would get a massage chair.

Massage chairs allow you to relax in your own home without any distractions. The main advantage of this would be the privacy provided with a massage chair. Sometimes individuals do not feel comfortable going to a masseuse or do not want to take off clothes to a stranger. By having the chair in one’s home, a person anxious about public massages would be able to feel more relaxed and comfortable.

Massage chairs are pricey. They could cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to even over ten thousand dollars. Ostensibly, the cost is steep. But the cost is a one-time cost. Think about the cost of a masseuse in a nice spa or massage organization. Each individual massage could run you around $100. If you were to have a massage 15 times a year, you’ll be spending $1,500 a year. A nice massage chair could pay for itself in a few years. As long as the model is a good quality chair, you can expect the chair to be available for many years.

You can also benefit by not worrying about making appointments to the masseuse. If all of the sudden you feel that your muscles are tightening or feel physically stressed, the massage chair is there for immediate use. The massage chair doesn’t make you wait. In fact, you’ll find that a lot of spas are booked on prime times. There could be some considerable work finding the right time to balance with your active lifestyle.

Not all masseuses offer clients more than one style, such as Swedish or Shiatsu. In a lot cases, the masseuse is a specialist in one or a very few styles. Today’s massage chairs provide more than one style. Since the massage chair rollers can mimic almost any hand pattern, it can give you more than one type of massage style. Importantly, this is all dependent of the type of chair. But as more of these instruments become advanced, the chairs will offer limitless options.

Physical benefits of massage chairs can match massages from a real person. You can benefit from back and neck relief, muscle loosening, better blood flow, fewer muscle spasms, improved back posture and much more.

It also allows you to customize certain motions and patterns for a unique massage experience. You may not be able to do that with a massage therapist. Moreover, if you go to a spa, you may not get the same masseuse that provides the massage that you like. At least with a massage chair, you can count on getting the same type of massage that you enjoy.

Massage chairs are a great way for individuals to enjoy massage with privacy, customization and greater flexibility. The chairs will allow you to benefit in many ways including a better physical body and lifestyle.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

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