The therapeutic benefits of massage are comprehensive and scientifically supported. From chronic pain to stress management and everything in between, there is no question that massage therapy is a relaxing and reliable resource for getting your body back into working order.
But massages can do more than simply alleviate pain — they can also enhance the healing effects of your session through the magic of simple human touch.
Touch and Pain
Modern scientific research has begun to shed light on the healing powers of human touch. The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, for example, says it has carried out more than 100 studies into the impacts of touch.
The results of their research indicate that human touch can aid a variety of recovery and healing processes, with side effects ranging from reduced pain to decreased autoimmune symptoms and enhanced immune functions.
Another study conducted by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America looked only at one form of touch: hand-holding. And what they found was that holding hands with another person may induce “touch-related analgesia,” or a reduction of physical pain associated with human contact.
If such statements can be made about such a simple manner of touch, imagine the healing potential involved in something as comprehensively touch-based as massage therapy.
Touch and Emotions
Physical pain aside, studies today generally suggest that human touch also carries the added benefit of increasing feelings of positivity as they relate to both individual emotions and group behaviors.
Such positive feelings “accompany moderate pressure massage along with increased attentiveness, decreased depression and enhanced immune function [...] making massage therapy one of the most effective forms of touch,” according to another scientific review.
The well-known health insurance provider, United Healthcare, has published its own findings on how human touch “[plays] a role in better health.”
By slashing through stress, lowering a person’s blood pressure, and increasing the brain’s release of oxytocin, touch effectively reaches various portions of the brain, rendering massage therapy an ideal means of achieving well-rounded relief.
So, if you find yourself feeling a little starved for human connection and the comfort of personal touch, massage therapy is likely an ideal outlet for you. Not only will it help you to get back in touch with your own body, but with your emotions and overall outlook on both your life and relationships.
If you have further questions about how massage therapy can help you, or if you’re ready to book an appointment, contact Alpha School of Massage today by calling (904) 389-9117! We’re here to help you find both relaxation and relief, and we look forward to serving you.