Benefits of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy has many advantages apart from the obvious one of relaxation. It is now often suggested by doctors, physical therapists, and chiropractors for various reasons (along with other therapies such as cupping and acupuncture).


Massage can range from light pressure to deep tissue (a lot of pressure) and there are many kinds of massage, including:

Swedish– A gentle massage that uses gentle, long strokes. Mainly focused on relaxation and tension relief.
Deep Tissue– Uses slower strokes and more pressure to reach deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue.

Sports– A style that often uses a combination of different techniques to help relieve sports strain or injury.
Trigger Point– A focused type massage often used for relief of tension from overuse or injury.

No matter the type, massage can help:

Relax Muscles

Massage provides external physical pressure to muscles and helps remove tension. This is the most common reason people get a massage.

Improve Flexibility & Reduce Injury

The pressure and stretching of the muscles can help improve their ability to stretch. Athletes often get a regular massage to help increase flexibility and reduce the chance of injury (and to help rehab from injury).

Increase Immunity

Though less well-known, massage may also increase immune function by stimulating lymph flow in the body. This helps promote a strong immune system.

Shorten Hospital Stays

A study found that women who received regular prenatal massage had shorter hospital stays when they delivered their babies. The reason is not completely clear, but researchers suspect that it is the affects of increased relaxation and blood flow.


Improve Sleep

A number of studies have shown that massage has a positive effect on sleep. This is likely because of its affect on delta waves, the ones most connected to deep sleep.

How to Get the Benefits of Massage At Home (On the Cheap)

Of course, while it is fun to think about a live-in maid, chef, or massage therapist, it is unfortunately not very realistic. Even if money weren’t an issue, it would be impossible for most moms to sneak away for a daily massage.

Regular massage from a trained therapist is the most studied way to get the benefits, but there are some much cheaper and almost as good ways to get some of the benefits!