GET A GOOD RUBDOWN
It's not an indulgence. It's therapy!
BY:MARY ELIZABETH TERZELLA
It’s not an indulgence. It’s therapy! Life’s crazy days and being on call 24/7 can leave your head throbbing, your back and neck aching, your spirits sagging and your energy flagging. You can’t beat a rubdown for relaxing tense muscles. But the benefits don’t stop there.
“Research suggests that therapeutic massage may help reduce pain, anxiety, depression and stress,” says Tiffany Field, PhD, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Moderate-pressure massage stimulates nerves that cause levels of the stress hormone cortisol to go down and two mood-boosting and pain-easing brain chemicals, serotonin and dopamine, to go up.
Massage even may make you more competent and clear-headed. In one of Dr. Field’s studies, electroencephalogram measurements revealed that workers had lower levels of alpha and beta waves, indicating increased alertness, after receiving a chair massage for 15 minutes. They were able to complete math problems twice as quickly—and with half the mistakes—as colleagues who simply closed their eyes and took a 15-minute breather.
Other studies have found that massage helps people sleep better, cuts the frequency of tension headaches and is more effective than other complementary therapies in easing chronic back pain. What’s more, it increases natural killer cells, immune-system warriors that destroy cancer and viruses, says Dr. Field.
She recommends regular massages by a professional or your significant other. No matter who gives you a massage, the key to its healing powers is moderate touch—light pressure has no effect, says Dr. Field.
To find a trained and qualified therapist in your area, contact the American Massage Therapy Association at (877) 905-2700 or the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork at (800) 296-0664.