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8 surprising reasons why a massage will improve your health

It’s well known that messages are an amazing experience that everybody should try, of course at Pearl London we’re specialists, but something that a lot of people don’t realise is the genuine health benefits that a massage can have. You may think of massages as a luxury, but they are much more than that.

Pearl London is the authority in all aspects of massages, so we’ve racked our brains and come up with eight surprising reasons why a massage can improve your health. Next time you visit one of our Pearls you won’t only enjoy the luxurious and exotic experience we provide, but you’ll understand why you just feel so amazing after it’s all over.

A way to deal with depression and anxiety

When a message is done correctly, a person will normally feel the effects instantly. As soon as it begins a person will feel both calm and relaxed. A message lowers the levels of a stress hormone called cortisol, meaning that a person will instantly feel like they have lifted spirits with the knock on effect of lowered blood pressure.

There are two neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine, that have a large connection to depression. You need a good amount of serotonin to keep a stable mode, and dopamine has an effect on the desire to get things done or not. Having a massage can boost these neurotransmitters, helping to fight the effects of depression.

Dealing with any excessive pain

Treating pain thanks to a massage is something that’s easily thought about, but it’s something we all learn from an early age. From only being a toddler, if you were to fall over and graze your knee the first instinctive thing you do is rub where it hurts. Putting it into more relevant context, if you’re working in an office and start to suffer from a stiff shoulder, you’ll likely try to knead where the stiffness is.

Having someone provide you with a massage will ease pain in a number of different ways. Firstly, it’s possible to increase the blood flow to any stiff or sore joints and muscles, with them being warmed thanks to the extra circulation. It has also been discovered that massages trigger natural painkillers in the brain that are known as opioids.

Another occurrence that massages can help kickstart is speeding up the amount of oxytocin in the body, a specific hormone that helps to relax muscles and even increases the feeling of contentment and calmness. If someone suffers from chronic pain, especially that in the lower back area, massages can help to relieve this pain completely.

Getting a better nights sleep

Ensuring that a person gets a good nights sleep is becoming one of the toughest tasks dealt with on a daily basis. With mobile phones being kept on bedside tables, and the glowing lights of an electronic device charging being within eye sight, there’s no wonder that a third of people in the UK have suffered from insomnia at least once in their life.

Interestingly enough, massage therapy can actually be considered as a natural remedy due to the fact it gets to the root of your pain. As you become deprived of sleep, or more specifically deep sleep, your body will start to release a pain chemical throughout your body.

By having a message, you sleep is improved due to your muscles relaxing, further boosting your circulation and dealing with any trigger points. As mentioned previously, a massage triggers the release of serotonin, which has a knock on effect with the amount of sleep you can have.

Boost your immune system

It has only been recently discovered that having a massage can actually boost your immune system, fending off any diseases that may want to leave you feeling grim. People that are excessively stressed are more likely to get sick compared to others, and if stress is combined with lack and sleep and poor nutrition there’s very little stopping you getting infected.

Numerous studies have shown that a massage can help to improve the immune system's cytotoxic capacity, which are often known as the bodies killer cells. You’ll also find your T-cells are reduced, improving the body's overall immune function. If you have regular massage during winter time, you’ll find that the cold that can occur during this time avoids you.

Improved posture

For the majority of people they spend most of the day sat down at a desk which can be terrible for a person's posture. Bad posture isn’t only not nice to look at, but it can create neck and back pain. When you hunch forward, your body doesn’t align properly, forcing certain muscles to work harder than they should be.

A concerning issue that can occur due to bad posture is pressure on your internal organs, having a knock on effect on your digestion system as well. Breathing and circulation can also be majorly affected, which can lead to a number of serious issues.

Not a lot of people realise that unlike other bad habits, a poor posture can be quite relaxing to correct. Massages allow the body to strengthen natural and health movement, making it one of the best aspects of massage therapy. The muscles that have been made sore due to bad posture can become relaxed and loose, helping your body to go back to a pain three position.

Help prevent/cure tension headaches

There are very few things that are worse than a tension headache. You may have a multitude of tasks that need completing throughout the day, but a tension headache can put a stop to all of your plans. A massage done on a regular basis will help your body to keep at the best levels of stress relief and relaxation. The major knock on effect of this is the reduction of any chance a migraine attack or tension headache will occur, as muscles spasms and trigger points are controlled.

If you are already suffering from a tension headache then a massage can work to cure it. Instead of being massaged on your back area, the neck, shoulders and even head can help to decrease the discomfort and pain tension that headaches produce.

Detoxes your body

It can be very easy to fall into the trap of eating excessive junk food and going on too many nights out, especially when it comes to the weekend. To get ready for the week ahead your body needs to be prepared, so getting a massage can be just the thing that you need.

No matter what type of massage you actually have, your circulation will become increased, making blood pump around your body better. Along with your blood is oxygen which helps to form essential nutrients which will eventually turn energy once it finally gets to the muscles. Your organs will benefit too, with the increase in blood circulation encouraging them to work even better, especially when it comes to eliminating unhealthy toxins.

Once you’ve fully detoxed, you’ll find you’re able to think clearer, feel healthier and ready for whatever the week has waiting for you. For these reasons alone people choose to have a massage on a weekly basis.

Assist with PMS

Another fact that surprises a lot of people, but massages can be a great treatment for PMS. It helps the changes in the circulatory system that are started due to the altered hormone production that occurs. This is what causes retention and an overall bloated sensation. A massage also helps keep skin to a good quality, a big problem that can arise during PMS.

Other than that, a massage is one of the best destressers you can take advantage of. Mood swings and depression during PMS don’t only affect you, but the people around you, so a massage once or twice a week (and even that’s only a minimum) can have amazing psychological benefits.

If you want to utilise the full aspects of a massage, try out an aromatherapy massage. The aromatic smells, calming touch, relaxing music and mood expanding oils will leave you wondering why you didn’t have this sort of massage previously.

Massages, more than just a luxury

As you can see, massages are more than just a nice thing to have every now and then. Ensuring you have a massage on a regular basis can result in you being the healthiest you’ve ever been. If you’ve been struggling getting a good nights sleep, or you’ve been more stressed than usual, the first thing you should do once you’ve finished this blog is arrange a massage.

What do you think of this blog? Do you know of any other health benefits that massages have? Let us know on Twitter: @PEARL_London.