5 Amazing Benefits of Massage Therapy

Here at River Organics, we believe that everyone has the potential to experience true holistic wellness as long as they are empowered with the right tools and knowledge. Just like a seedling needs time and care to grow into a hemp plant from which we can extract CBD oil, you too can learn to implement various strategies in your life to improve your health and wellbeing.

We can agree that we can all use a little more rest and relaxation in our busy, hectic lives. Massage therapy can be an essential tool to help us de-stress and decompress, and enhance our overall health and holistic wellness. 

What is massage therapy? 

Massage therapy refers to the practice of applying pressure to the skin through various types of rubbing, kneading and pressing to relieve tension. There are several different kinds of massage treatments from Swedish massages that use gentler kinds of manipulation and long strokes to more focused therapies with increased pressure like sports massages for sports-related injuries, deep massage or trigger point massage. 

In recent years, massage therapy has experienced a surge in popularity, growing in demand and gaining wider mainstream appeal. Beyond the fact that massage feels fantastic, it also offers a host of benefits to improve health and wellness. 

What are some of the benefits of massage therapy? 

1. Stress Reduction

Stress is not only frustrating and challenging to deal with; it can be very harmful to our health. When we are under stress, we produce higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol which can lead to many health issues such as digestive problems, weight gain, trouble sleeping, and excessive headaches. Massage therapy allows ourselves to release stress and tension, lowering levels of cortisol in the body, helping to bring us back into a state of equilibrium. It also promotes feelings of relaxation, reducing tension and enhancing mood.

2. Lower Blood Pressure

Beyond an increase in the cortisol hormone, stress can also lead to higher blood pressure which can be incredibly damaging to the body, contributing to many ailments including increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Studies show that massage therapy treatments can help reduce systolic (upper number) and diastolic (lower number) blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure can help reduce propensities to mental health ailments such as anxiety, depression and hostility, as well as improve other aspects of health including reducing risk of heart attack and stroke.

3. Boost Immune System 

Did you know that massage therapy can promote better overall health by amping up your body’s defenses and strengthening the immune system? So, beyond feeling happier and more relaxed in the short term and improving mental and physical health issues, massage therapy fortifies your body’s ability to cultivate improved health in the long-term. Studies indicate that massage therapy can help activate higher levels of the body’s natural “killer T cells,” which help defend the body against viruses and infections. 

4. Muscle Relaxation and Pain Reduction

Massage therapy is designed to target sore muscles, and reduce pain by releasing tension, promoting increased flexibility and enabling the muscles to relax. The various types of manipulation and pressure on the skin also allow for increased circulation which encourage more oxygen and nutrient flow to affected areas, enabling tense or injured muscle tissues to heal faster. But massage therapy’s abilities for pain reduction don’t stop there. In addition to helping to reduce pain in areas of damaged or injured muscles tissues, massage therapy can also help with overall pain management in the body by amplifying levels of dopamine and serotonin (pain-killing hormones) which promotes feelings of relaxation and soothes nerves, helping to manage pain. 

5. Increased Circulation

Healthy circulation throughout the body is vital to the overall health of the body and its ability to heal damaged or congested areas. Massage therapy encourages improved circulation by promoting increased blood flow to sore or tense muscles, as well as other affected areas inside the body. Manipulation of the skin tissue also helps release lactic acid from the muscle tissues which helps improve the movement and circulation of the lymphatic fluids.These fluids contribute to overall health and wellness, by removing metabolic waste and lowering blood pressure levels. 

Have you tried massage therapy enhanced by CBD oil? CBD offers enhanced health and wellness by augmenting the effects of massage therapy, improving muscle tone and hydration of the skin, as well as enhancing relaxation and helping to reduce tension levels in the body.