10 Hidden Benefits of Medical Massage Therapy
Releases Tight and Sore Muscles which can Cause Ischemia
Ischemia is a lack of blood supply to soft tissues, which causes hypersensitivity to the touch and allows for further injury to the tissues. Medical massage directly addresses muscle tightness to restore proper blood flow.
Helps Relieve Nerve Compression or Entrapment
Pressure on a nerve by soft tissue, cartilage or bone can contribute to muscle atrophy, referred pain, paresthesia, and conditions such as pseudo sciatica, piriformis syndrome, pseudo angina, and others. Targeted massage decompresses these pathways.
Deactivates Myofascial Trigger Points
Trigger points are areas of high neurological activity which refer pain to other parts of the body. Skilled medical massage therapists locate and deactivate these points to eliminate referred pain patterns.
Decreases Pain and Inflammation
Massage can restore strength and flexibility to your muscles, improving their overall function. It's the ideal treatment for releasing tension or muscles in spasm and helps to release toxins such as lactic acid produced by muscle tissue during exercise.
Alleviates Stress and Improves Circulation
Proper circulation is vital to continued health. Your blood and lymph carry nourishment to the trillions of cells throughout your body and then carry away the waste to be eliminated. Massage encourages a better exchange of nutrients at the cellular level and more thorough detoxification.
Increases Flexibility and Range of Motion
By reducing hypertonicity and hypotonicity the muscles allow for normal ranges of motion to be restored. This also reduces the forces being applied to the joint capsule and diminishes the potential for joint and disk degeneration.
Calms the Nervous System
Each square inch of your skin contains roughly 50 nerve endings. With as many as five million total touch receptors in your skin relaying messages to your brain, your body's initial response to massage is to relax. Touch can signal the brain to produce endorphins — your body's natural pain suppressors.
Improves Posture and Coordination
Many of today's pain issues are from incorrect body mechanics and posture that we continue to place ourselves in on a daily basis, which becomes very similar to a repetitive motion injury. MMR therapists focus on education in correct body posture from the neck down to the feet.
Medical Massage is Cost Effective
By assisting the client towards a quicker recovery from acute headaches, neck/back pain, and skeletal muscular strains and sprains, he or she is able to return to a normal productive life including work and recreation — reducing overall healthcare costs.
Helps Prevent Future Chronic Pain
Medical massage effectively deals with the cause of the problem and eliminates it, rather than masking symptoms. Overall, medical massage achieves results and substantial cost savings to the client, employer, and to society.
Ready to Experience These Benefits?
Get a referral from your doctor and let MMR handle the rest — insurance verification, billing, and all paperwork.