Massage Therapist Naples
Patti Reed LMT, CPT
ALL 4 FITNESS
The Benefits of Therapeutic Massage
Massage Therapy Is Now Finding Enormous Popularity and Acceptance
Numerous research studies in the United States, Europe and Asia have documented that far beyond simply "feeling good," massage therapy has an impressive range of physical, mental and emotional benefits.
Massage Reduces the Effects Of Stress
Up to 90% of all visits to physicians are for stress related complaints such as headaches, backaches, neck pain, eyestrain, poor circulation, anxiety, depression, irritability, anger, high blood pressure, heart disease, as well as physical and emotional exhaustion.
Massage therapy has an amazing effect on your nervous system. When massage therapy activates your parasympathetic nervous system, it counteracts your body's negative response to stress, relaxing muscle tension and allowing your heart rate, blood pressure and circulation to return to normal.
Massage therapy also helps you become more aware of your body and your unconsciously held tension. As you become more aware of your body, you will begin to recognize tension as it builds during the day so that you can consciously release it before it can have a negative effect on your body.
Massage Relaxes Tense Muscles
Stress, injury, poor circulation, overuse, and misuse of muscles, can cause you pain and discomfort as well as restrict your normal range of motion. When left unattended, these conditions can become habitual and hamper the quality of your everyday life.
Massage therapy stretches and loosens tight muscles, and connective tissue, breaking down and preventing further formation of adhesions, freeing your range of motion and reducing the danger of fibrosis.
Massage Increases Blood Circulation
Like a sponge that is squeezed, a tight muscle can not hold much fluid or allow much fluid to pass through it. This decreases your blood circulation and increases the strain on your heart. This obviously causes problems, leaving you feeling fatigued and sore, reducing your precious energy reserves.
Massage therapy releases contracted muscles and pushes venous blood toward the heart, thus easing the strain on this vital organ. This increase in circulation brings energy producing nutrients and oxygen to your cells as well as carries away metabolic waste that can make you feel listless and drained.
In addition, massage therapy increases your body's oxygen carrying red blood cell count helping to bring even more oxygen to your body's cells.
Massage Decreases Chronic Pain
Not only does massage therapy help to correct the conditions that cause chronic pain, it also acts in two ways to decrease the actual pain itself. The first is by the trained touch of a massage therapist activating nerve receptor signals along myelinated nerve fibers to temporarily block chronic pain signals from reaching the brain. The second is by the stimulated release of endorphins (the body's natural pain killer) into the brain and nervous system to reduce your feeling of pain and discomfort without the use of unnatural drugs.
Massage Strengthens The Immune System
The lymphatic system is a major factor in your body's battle to ward off infection and heal injuries. The lymphatic flow is usually very sluggish in most people and especially those who are less active. Massage therapy improves the circulation of blood and its vital nutrients and increases the circulation of lymph in your lymphatic system thus helping your body fight off infection and speeds your recovery from injury and illness.
"If you have a massage every week, you will have 2/3 less illness" H. Gruenn, M.D. Los Angeles, CA.
Massage Can Improve Nerve Function
Contracted muscles can press on or pinch nerves causing tingling, numbness or pain. Massage therapy relaxes these contracted muscles to relieve the compression on your nerves. Sensory receptors in the skin and muscles wake up bringing new awareness to areas that have felt cut off by chronic tension patterns.
Massage Helps You Sleep
Tension from everyday stress can disrupt your sleep leaving you tired, irritable and emotionally drained. This can rob you of the patience and stamina needed just to face day-to-day life. Massage therapy relaxes tense muscles and calms the nervous system, causing your body's rhythm to slow down. When this happens, your blood pressure lowers, your heart rate settles and your breathing becomes deeper and more rhythmic, priming you for a perfect nights sleep.
Massage Improves Skin Tone
The sun, smog, poor diet and the natural aging process all contribute to the drying, wrinkling and general loss of the youthful characteristics of your skin. Massage therapy dilates the blood capillaries of the skin increasing the uptake of vital skin repairing nutrients and speeding the removal of harmful toxins. This improved circulation helps to moisturize your skin improving skin texture while relieving dryness and itching.
Remember, this is the only body you are going to get. Take great care of it.
Massage therapist Naples Florida