Holistic and alternative health programs can help promote and maintain your health. Taking time to care for yourself may seem to be a bit of a challenge with all of your other responsibilities. However, once you know and feel the powerful benefits of massage therapy, you may want to add it to the top of your healthy living regimen.

You may think of a massage as a nice extra now and again. You may consider it to be a luxury. If you ever have massages, you may save them for weekend getaways or once yearly vacations. However, when you consider massage therapy as a cornerstone of your healthy living lifestyle, you’ll receive many more benefits.

You may be thinking that massage therapy is done simply to relax. While it is one of the benefits, there is more to massage therapy than just relaxation. Many people, who frequently or regularly schedule massage therapy sessions, are looking for specific results. Often, these results are related to an ongoing physical problem or issue.

According to the Mayo Clinic, some studies have found that these illnesses and problems may respond well to massage therapy. (source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/massage/art-20045743)

Anxiety
Digestive disorders
Fibromyalgia
Headaches (migraine and tension)
Myofascial pain syndrome
Paresthesias and nerve pain
Temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ)

Here are a few massage therapy benefits, outcomes, and results that people desire most.

Muscle ache relief
Joint pain relief
Circulation improvement
Immune system boost
Endorphin level increase
Sleep quality improvement
Concentration and focus increase
Scar tissue reduction

Other potential benefits include relaxation, stress reduction, migraine headache reduction, greater joint flexibility, inflammation reduction, and better skin tone.

One of the wonderful things about massage therapy is that when you go in to work on one specific issue, you come out with many other issues having been addressed as well. It offers you the boost you need for your emotional and mental state while improving many areas of your body as well.

Exercise, sleep, and healthy meals are key components of being healthy. So are massage therapy sessions. When you add this to your healthy lifestyle, the powerful benefits of massage therapy can play a vital role in enhancing your overall health.