Chinese literature touts the benefits of massage therapy dating back to 3000 B.C. Once thought to only bring stress relief and relaxation, it is now scientifically proven to benefit overall health and specific health conditions. Not all states require massage practitioners to hold a license. However, the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork administers a national test.
Overall Benefits
While massage therapy has been prescribed for a number of health conditions, its benefits are now known to be an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. If you want to improve your skin, enhance flexibility, increase the range of motion in your joints and reduce pain and inflammation, Dale Healey, DC, dean of the School of Massage Therapy at Northwestern Health Sciences University says massage therapy is just what the doctor ordered. In fact, it boosts your immune system, improves circulation, promotes healing and reduces both emotional and physical fatigue.
Osteoarthritis
Those suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee can safely and effectively reduce pain without medication when they receive massage therapy. The Yale Prevention Research Center and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) performed a 16-week study on “the potential benefits of Swedish massage on osteoarthritis patients with pain, stiffness and limited range of motion.” Participants initially received a Swedish massage session for one hour, two times a week for a month. The following month, the patients received one Swedish massage for one hour. After analyzing the outcomes via both the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Pain Index the researchers concluded, “Participants had improved flexibility, less pain and improved range of motion.”
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
A clinical study conducted by the University of Miami School of Medicine shows that patients suffering from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis benefit from massage therapy. The parents of the participants performed a 15-minute massage on their child for 30 days. The results, published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, showed immediate improvement in the children’s anxiety level and their level of cortisol (a stress hormone). Additionally, the children, their parents and their physicians reported a reduction in the patients’ incidence and severity of pain.
Childbirth
Women in labor benefit from massage therapy. Receiving massage therapy from a husband or birthing partner during labor can reduce the duration of labor, according to a study conducted by the Potomac Massage Training Institute and published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.
