5 Reasons to Get a Massage Right Now

September is Self-Care Awareness month and, here at EPIC, we are all about self-care! This month, we encourage you to take care of your mind and body through some of our epic services. Here are five legitimate reasons to get a massage right now.

1. Massage therapy can ease your migraine.

A migraine is a neurological condition which comes in the form of a terrible headache. It can be accompanied by other symptoms too, such as nausea and sensitivity to light. [1] One of the main causes of a migraine attack is stress. When stressed, people’s bodies tend to release a hormone called cortisol. Researchers believe that this hormone is responsible for triggering migraines, especially when bodies go into a time of relaxation after a stressful period.[2]

Luckily, massage therapy can help. In a research published in the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine,[3] researchers set up two groups that had been dealing with migraine issues. One of the groups received several sessions of massage therapy, while the other group didn’t. Before and after each session, researchers measured several things about the participants including their cortisol levels. It was found that compared to the group that didn’t receive massage therapy, those that did had lower cortisol levels, and in turn, lower problems with migraines.

2. Massage therapy can help you to de-stress.

While massages can help ease migraines, they can also help reduce the root cause of migraines: stress. In a study published in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry,[4] researchers found that not only did massage lower the cortisol levels of their participants, but it also improved decreased their issues with anxiety, depression, and aggression. It was concluded that, through massage therapy, stress levels may be reduced.

Stress reduction through massage may be attributed to an increase in happier hormones, apart from the decrease in the negative. Research has shown that massage is associated with an increase in oxytocin. [5][6] In turn, oxytocin is associated with anti-stress effects.[7]

3. Massage therapy can help you get a grip.

Literally. For those seeking to enhance their power-grip performance, massage therapy may help. A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine,[8] 52 subjects were given massages to their hands and forearms. Afterwards, power grip measures were used before and after another set of exercises, to assess any effects. Using statistical measurements, the researchers concluded that the given massages had helped with grip performance.

4. Massage therapy can give your back a break.

Whether young or old, back problems will always pop up every now and then. Yet this problem, like many other problems, can be reduced by the magic of a good massage. In a study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience,[9] researchers found that massage therapy helped decrease lower back pain. This may be due to a possible increase in blood flow, encouraged by massage, that is directed towards the muscles in the back.[10]

5. Massage therapy may ease your post-workout pains.

Soreness after workouts can be annoying, but it can be even more troublesome if it’s in the form of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). If massage therapy can help the muscles of the back, then it surely could help the other muscle groups. In a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training,[11] researchers decided to investigate the hypothesis that massage helps DOMS. After having subjects to do eccentric exercises, and be massaged afterwards, researchers found that there was a significantly positive effect, thus massage could be of help to those with DOMS. Like every other mood and muscle massage helps, these results could be due to both positive hormones as well as extra blood flow needed for the muscle.

Sources:

[1] Nall, R. (2017). Everything You Want to Know About Migraine. Healthline. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/migraine

[2] Montefiore Medical Center. (2014, March 26). Migraine attacks increase following stress 'let-down'. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140326181915.htm

[3] Lawler SP, Cameron LD. (2006). A randomized, controlled trial of massage therapy as a treatment for migraine. Ann Behav Med, 32(1):50-59.

[4] Garner B, Phillips LJ, Schmidt HM, et al. (2008). Pilot study evaluating the effect of massage therapy on stress, anxiety and aggression in a young adult psychiatric inpatient unit. Aust N Z J Psychiatry, 42(5):414-422.

[5] Morhenn V, Beavin LE, Zak PJ. (2012). Massage increases oxytocin and reduces adrenocorticotropin hormone in humans. Altern Ther Health Med, 18(6):11-18.

[6] Fehrs, L. (2010, March 1). Oxytocin: The Hormone of Peace and Trust. Institute for Integrative Healthcare. Retrieved from: https://www.integrativehealthcare.org/mt/oxytocin-the-hormone-peace- trust/

[7] Uvnas-Moberg K, Petersson M. (2005). Oxytocin, ein Vermittler von Antistress, Wohlbefinden, sozialer Interaktion, Wachstum und Heilung [Oxytocin, a mediator of anti-stress, well-being, social interaction, growth and healing]. Z Psychosom Med Psychother, 51(1):57-80.

[8] Brooks CP, Woodruff LD, Wright LL, Donatelli R. (2005). The immediate effects of manual massage on power-grip performance after maximal exercise in healthy adults. J Altern Complement Med, 11(6):1093- 1101.

[9] Hernandez-Reif M, Field T, Krasnegor J, Theakston H. (2001). Lower back pain is reduced and range of motion increased after massage therapy. Int J Neurosci, 106(3-4):131-145.

[10] Massage and Myotherapy Australia. (n.d.). How Can Massage Help Treat Backpain? Massage and Myotherapy Australia. Retrieved from: https://www.massagemyotherapy.com.au/Consumers/Blog/How-can-massage-help-treat-back-pain

[11] Zainuddin, Z., Newton, M., Sacco, P., & Nosaka, K. (2005). Effects of massage on delayed-onset muscle soreness, swelling, and recovery of muscle function. Journal of athletic training, 40(3), 174–180.