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10 ARCHBOLD
MEDICAL CENTER
Q
Are there health benefits to get-
ting a massage?
A
The promise of blissed-out relaxation
might be a good enough reason to
schedule a massage. But that’s not all
this soothing practice appears to offer.
It turns out that under the capable
hands of a professional massage ther-
apist, you may reap benefits beyond
simply feeling good.
Although scientific evidence on mas-
sage is limited, the modern forms of this
ancient healing art—including Swedish,
deep tissue and sports massage—have
been shown to:
•
Relax the nervous system by lowering
heart rate and blood pressure.
•
Enhance immune function by lower-
ing stress hormones and pain hormones.
•
Soothe sore muscles.
Massage therapy may be especially
helpful for people with:
•
Anxiety.
•
Cancer.
•
Carpal tunnel syndrome.
•
Heart bypass surgery.
•
Hypertension.
•
Knee pain from osteoarthritis.
•
Low-back pain.
•
Migraines.
Researchers are testing whether
massage also helps other conditions, in-
cluding depression, pain from sickle cell
anemia, and fatigue and swelling caused
by chemotherapy.
No matter why you seek massage
therapy, choose a trained, properly cre-
dentialed professional.
As long as you do, massage has few
serious risks. However, never use it to
replace regular medical care.
Also, be sure your massage therapist
knows about your medical conditions.
Finally, if a massage ever hurts, speak
up. It should feel good—not painful.
Massage as
medicine