A massage isn’t just something you get at a spa when you want to treat yourself. Massage therapy has many health benefits, both mental and physical. When you start to experience adverse symptoms like muscle cramps, pain, and fatigue due to stress at work, a muscle massage may be just what you need to experience relief and target your stress at the source.

5 Ways Massages Relieve Stress 

1. Decrease Heart Rate & Blood Pressure

Massages have been proven to decrease heart rate and blood pressure after just ten to 15 minutes. This physical reaction indicates a mental response as well, as the body slowing down shows the mind is letting go.

2. Decrease Cortisol Levels

Cortisol is the hormone that spikes when you are stressed. When your cortisol levels are high for long periods of time, they can damage your body. Massages have been shown to produce immediate reductions in cortisol.

3. Promote Relaxation

The experience of massage is designed to promote relaxation. Taking time for a quiet, peaceful experience has many benefits for the mind, allowing it to let go of stressful thoughts and rewire itself.

4. Relieve Muscle Tension

Chronic stress causes the muscles to tense up, causing pain in the neck, shoulders, and back. Massages work to manually relieve muscle tension, releasing lactic acid and toxins and undoing the effects of stress.

5. Improve Immunity

Stress can suppress the digestive and immune systems. By lowering the heart rate, massages regulate the circulatory system, which improves immunity and digestive function, making it easier to be resilient in stressful situations.

If stress is getting the best of you, a massage can help reverse the effects so you feel relaxed and in control of your health. Whether you want to get a massage or learn how to practice Shiatsu therapy yourself, Aisen Chiryo Doin is Honolulu’s premier establishment for massage therapy. To learn more or schedule an appointment, call them at (808) 596-7354 or visit them online.