Do you count sheep? If you have insomnia, you’ve probably tried counting something to help you sleep at least once. It must be a challenge to fall asleep while imagining sheep with all their noises and odors.

The good news is you don’t need to rely on old wives’ tales or cultural myths to get a good night’s sleep, relieve chronic pain, or kick stress to the curb. You can get a massage!

To find out how a massage benefits your body, soul, and mind, relax, take a deep breath, and read today’s post. Explore seven perks you can enjoy from massage therapy. You’ll quickly discover it’s not just a day at the spa!

1. Quit Counting Sheep

Are you one of the 70 million adults who suffer from a sleep disorder? Since counting sheep isn’t a proven method to fall asleep, if that’s what you do at night, you can safely banish those sheep from your dreams.

People who get regular massage therapy can attest that it’s not uncommon to fall asleep during a massage session.

Some types, such as Swedish massage, can coax the body to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This system helps your body relax—something people who have insomnia and other sleep disorders have a hard time doing.

Therapeutic massages activate multiple physical responses, including an increase in serotonin. Serotonin produces melatonin. One helps you relax, and the other enables you to fall asleep.

With the help of a skilled massage therapist, you can quit counting sheep and start enjoying quality sleep.

2. Are You Under Pressure?

New medications designed to treat high blood pressure come on the market frequently. Doctors often recommend dietary changes. They also advise adding exercise, like walking, to your daily routine.

Unless you identify the cause of high blood pressure, you may miss one of the most effective treatments.

Yes, hypertension is sometimes hereditary, but lifestyle plays a significant role in developing this serious health condition. A person’s diet is another contributing factor. Stress is a major cause of high blood pressure.

If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you can use massage health benefits to complement the treatment plan prescribed by your doctor. Research shows a significant decrease in blood pressure when you participate in regular massage therapy.

3. Say Goodbye to Chronic Pain

People who suffer from chronic pain try just about anything to find relief. Whether it’s medication, exercise, acupuncture, or a combination of treatments, the goal is simple: manage the pain.

Massage therapy disturbs the pain cycle. The result is a reduction in pain, which results in pain relief. Regular massage can also prevent pain reoccurrence.

Another kind of pain responds well to massage—headache pain. One of the leading causes of headaches is neck tension. Tension restricts blood flow to the brain, and your massage therapist can relieve the pressure. If you suffer from frequent headaches, add massage therapy to your treatment program.

Chronic pain doesn’t only affect the body. It increases a person’s stress level and often leads to anxiety and depression. Next, we’ll talk about how massage can help improve emotional health.

4. A Massage Can Make the Blues Go Away

Chronic pain is only one contributor to anxiety, depression, and stress. Life, in general, causes stress, and some people battle anxiety and depression due to brain chemical imbalances.

Cortisol, often called the stress hormone, occurs naturally in the body. While it gets a lot of attention due to how it can cause a rise in stress levels, cortisol plays a part in metabolism, immunity, memory, and blood sugar regulation. You need it, but you don’t want an overload.

You already know how yoga can help improve mental health, but you may not realize massage therapy offers many of the same benefits. Massage can lower cortisol, with a corresponding increase in serotonin. You may associate serotonin with depression, but it impacts every part of the body.

As far as emotional health, serotonin acts as a mood stabilizer. At proper levels, it reduces depression and regulates anxiety.

Many health care providers today recommend massage therapy as a component of mental health treatment plans.

5. How Massage Benefits Your Immune System

No matter what time of year it is, people get colds. Colds have no respect for seasons, which means you can never let your guard down.

Sure, you can take Vitamin C and zinc, get plenty of rest, and wash your hands frequently. Unless you have a robust immune system, you’re still susceptible to all kinds of viruses, including colds.

A key player in the battle over infection is your white blood cells. A healthy lymphatic system flushes toxins from the body. Massage stimulates both.

Not only does massage help fight colds and other nasty illnesses, but it also works to keep your digestive system healthy.

6. Settles Your Stomach

Whether you deal with acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or food sensitivities, you likely experience daily discomfort. One common thread shared by most digestive disorders is stress.

Now, we’re not saying stress causes digestive conditions—there is an array of contributing factors—stress does seem to make things worse.

When you need your gut to calm down, try getting a massage. Because massage therapy reduces stress, it can help settle your stomach.

We mentioned above how massage helps maintain a healthy lymphatic system. When you flush those toxins from your body, you help establish more efficient digestion. Digestive efficiency prevents your body from working too hard to process food and absorb nutrients.

7. Do You Sit All Day?

If you weren’t a desk worker before the current health crisis, you’ve probably spent a portion of your work hours seated in front of your computer. Have you noticed an extra amount of tension in your neck and shoulders?

You may be dealing with postural stress. Poor posture, repetitive motion, and prolonged time spent in the same position all increase stress on your body.

Once you progress to an advanced form of postural stress, you’ll likely feel pain in your lower back and gluteals, especially after long periods of sitting at your desk.

Massage therapy helps restore proper posture when you’ve spent the day in a chair.

Start Enjoying Massage Benefits Today

Most people think about massage as a fun couple’s activity or a way to relax after a long week. Therapeutic manipulation, the methods used by skilled practitioners to treat many diseases and disorders using their hands, offers much more than a day at the spa.

VIM Fitness specializes in post-workout recovery and health restoration through massage therapy. Don’t wait another day to experience massage benefits and start enjoying life even more than you do today. Contact us and schedule a session.