Indulge in Massage!

by Abigail Knowles Wolfe (BPRW)

Many of us see massage as a luxury treatment and the ultimate self-indulgent pampering yet many are unaware of the plethora of health benefits associated with massage. First and foremost, massage improves the condition of the human body’s largest organ, the skin. Human skin forms a protective layer over the entire body, helping to prevent injury and disease, makes vitamin D, regulates body temperature and gets rid of waste through sweat.

Despite the obvious relaxation that massage imparts, massage therapy is so much more than a sweet treat for the tired muscles. Massage therapy has been proven to lessen anxiety and depression, improve circulation, help asthmatic children with air flow and breathing, help arthritis sufferers experience less stiffness and pain, reduce fatigue, help improve concentration, relieve migraine pain, increase joint flexibility, help athletes prepare for and recover from strenuous work outs and enhance sleep quality in addition to a number of other benefits to the body.

According to statistics from the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), massage therapy is one the rise within the African American community in terms of popularity. In 2004 a reported 26 percent of African Americans had at least one massage in the 12 months prior to being polled, a reported 12 percent increase from the year before. Furthermore only 21 percent of the general population had at least one massage in the year in question.

Budgeting your hard earned money for regular massage, once a month or even bi-weekly, can be seen as investing in your own health and well being for years to come. Just because massage feels like pampering does not mean that it is any less therapeutic or revitalizing. So indulge in massage for your own relaxation and future health.