Every year, 60 million people in the United States get a massage. The average cost for a one-hour session in the United States is $75. The massage industry has become an $18 billion dollar per year industry!
But besides relaxation, are there any real health benefits to getting a massage?
Peer-reviewed medical research has shown the following benefits from massage:
Pain relief — A large study found improvement in pain levels from musculoskeletal injuries. There is also some evidence that massage can provide short-term improvement for patients with back pain.
Anxiety and depression relief — Massage can provide transient improvement of anxiety and can reduce depression.
Headaches — Some studies have shown benefit in migraine patients with reduction in number of headaches.
Sleep — Studies have shown benefit with sounder sleep after massage therapy.
Blood pressure — research has found temporary reduction of blood pressure and heart rate.
Arthritis — Patients with knee osteoarthritis who had massage had improvement with pain, stiffness, and function.
Healthfacts.blog 