It is exceptionally difficult to quit smoking. Only between 4% and 7% of smokers who attempt it are able to accomplish it cold turkey, and it can take 10 or more failures before they become an ex-smoker. Today, quitters have a number of tools to help them succeed. One effective tool you may not have heard about is massage therapy. Below, you'll find a discussion of how Swedish, deep tissue, or even hot stone massage can help you find the strength to kick the habit.

How Massage Therapy Helps You Kick the Habit

Psychological Benefits

Nicotine triggers dopamine, an important brain chemical that causes feelings of well-being. During withdrawal, dopamine levels become suppressed, which results in feelings of irritability, depression, and anxiety. Any of these can cause a smoker to abandon the attempt and light up again. However, the relaxing, calming effects of massage therapy help patients deal with these intense feelings and get past the immediate urge to start smoking again. Essentially, massage helps patients feel good again even without the help of nicotine.

Physical Benefits

Massage therapy also offers physical benefits that help people quit smoking. For instance, tissue massage improves circulation, which in turn helps the patient detoxify more quickly. The increased blood flow and lymphatic activity help oxygen and nutrients reach bodily tissues to help the patient fight off the trauma of withdrawal. This activity simultaneously speeds up the removal of metabolic waste, nicotine, and other toxins found in cigarettes from the body. The more quickly and efficiently this detox happens, the more quickly the patient can start to heal.

Massage therapy offers both mental and physical benefits that help patients get past the withdrawal and detoxification phases of quitting smoking. To take advantage of these benefits, contact Rejuvenation Salon & Spa in Juneau, AK. They've been serving the Mendenhall Valley for nearly a decade and also offer skin care and waxing services. In addition, they run an attached boutique that sells clothing and other goods. Visit their website to learn more about their body treatments, or call (907) 790-3362 to schedule an appointment.