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Everyone who goes for a massage expects to feel better, more relaxed and rejuvenated afterwards, but scientific studies show there’s a good reason for that massages may actually change the body’s chemistry and benefit patients with health issues beyond soreness or soft-tissue injuries.

In a study recently performed at Cedar Sinai Medical Center in California USA, researchers examined blood samples taken from patients before and after a 45-minute massage. The later samples showed biological benefits ranging from an increase in the number of white blood cells to a decrease in the stress hormone cortisol.

Other studies are looking into the medical benefits of massage therapy in more detail, specifically how regular massage increases the body’s serotonin, reduces the sympathetic nervous system and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. These areas are linked to improved sleep, a sense of well-being and reduced pain.

One of these studies reports that a single massage can produce measurable changes in the immune system and endocrine system of healthy adults. It involved 29 healthy adults who each received a 45-minute massage and 24 healthy adults who had a 45-minute session of light-touch massage, a much milder exercise that served as a comparison to the more vigorous Thai massage. Blood samples were taken before the massage began and at regular intervals up to one hour after the massage was completed.

The study found several changes in the blood tests of the massage group that indicated a benefit to the immune system. For example, massage caused sizeable decreases in arginine vasopressin, a hormone that contributes to aggressive behaviour, as well as small decreases in cortisol. The massage participants also had an increase in lymphocytes, cells that help the immune system defend the body from harmful substances.

This research and many other clinical studies show that massage doesn’t only feel good, it can also be good for you!

Foot massage originated in China thousands of years ago, and is also known today as sole massage or reflexology. The idea is that every organ in the body is linked to a particular point on the sole of the foot, and concentrating on the foot can alleviate pain in any part of the body.

The therapeutic benefits of foot and calf massages are a result of stimulation of the nerve endings on the sole the principle behind shoe insoles with those protruding dots.

A foot massage starts with cleansing the feet with a warm infusion of herbs and fragrances to make the skin softer and to relax the muscles of the foot. Next, a lubricating solution is applied and the therapist begins to apply a range of strokes and pressures to the various points on the soles.

All in all, a foot massage is an amazing experience, and therapists are well-trained in this ancient art so why wait when you can feel the relaxation of a great foot massage today.
It is your health. Take care of it!