Massage Therapy and Well-Being: Mental Benefits:

• Fosters peace of mind
• Promotes a relaxed state of mental alertness
• Helps relieve mental stress
• Improves ability to monitor stress signals and respond appropriately
• Enhances capacity for calm thinking and creativity
• Satisfies needs for caring — nurturing touch
• Fosters a feeling of well-being
• Reduces levels of anxiety
• Increases awareness of mind-body connection

Physical Benefits of Therapeutic Massage:

• Helps relieve stress and aids relaxation
• Helps relieve muscle tension and stiffness
• Alleviates discomfort during pregnancy
• Fosters faster healing of strained muscles and sprained ligaments; reduces pain and swelling; reduces formation of excessive scar tissue
• Reduces muscle spasms
• Provides greater joint flexibility and range of motion
• Enhances athletic performance; Treats injuries caused during sport or work
• Promotes deeper and easier breathing
• Improves circulation of blood and movement of lymph fluids
• Reduces blood pressure
• Helps relieve tension-related headaches and effects of eye-strain
• Enhances the health and nourishment of skin
• Improves posture
• Strengthens the immune system
• Treats musculoskeletal problems
• Rehabilitation post operative
• Rehabilitation after injury

Therapeutic massage may not be recommended in some cases, such as in people with:

• inflammation of the veins (phlebitis)
• infectious diseases
• certain forms of cancer
• some skin conditions
• some cardiac problems
• diabetes
• high-risk pregnancy