Benefits of Massage

Benefits to your body by system

Muscular
- increases the blood supply and nutrition to your muscles.
- helps your muscles recover more quickly from exertion and fatigue.
- relaxes your muscles, effectively reducing spasms, tension and cramping.
- reduces and breaks down adhesions (knots) and fibrosis.
- stretches your connective tissue.
- helps to re-establish your proper muscular tone.
- reduces your muscle and soft tissue pain.
- supports increased work capacity and encourages your metabolism.
- helps to prevent muscular atrophy (wasting from injury and paralysis).

Skeletal
- improves the circulation and nutrition of the joints and helps increase your range of joint movement.
- reduces joint strain and compression through releasing tight muscles and tendons.
- increases the ease and efficiency of your movements.
- helps to increase the retention of nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulphur in the bones and this aids in fracture healing.

Nervous
- can have a sedative, stimulating or even exhausting effect on the nervous system depending on the type and length of treatment given.
- stimulates the touch, pressure and proprioceptive receptors of the skin and underlying tissue.
- helps to balance the autonomic nervous system.
- relaxes the muscles and helps to re-establish proper tonus through its effect on the neuromuscular reflex pathways.
- is known to affect the neurotransmitters of the brain and increase endorphin secretion in particular (natural painkillers).
- can help reduce nerve entrapment through the release of soft tissue or muscular binding.
- can reduce nerve root compression caused by muscular tension.

Circulatory
- increases the nutrition of the tissues via an increased exchange of fluids and materials.
- produces a dilation of the blood vessels which helps to improve your circulation.
- helps to reduce the lack of blood and by direct pressure and stimulation reduces pain due to the irritation of nerves that control your circulatory system.
- enhances the elimination of the waste products of your metabolism.
- helps to reduce any swelling and contusions.
- increases the number of red blood cells in your circulation.
- has the overall effect of lowering your blood pressure and reduces your pulse rate.
- facilitates tissue healing through the enhancement of circulation.
- increases tissue fluid and assists lymphatic circulation thus reducing swelling and enhancing the immune and filtering activities of this system.
- increases both your venous and lymphatic flow

Digestive and Excretory
- aides the normal movement throughout your alimentary canal assisting with many dysfunction's through its stress releasing effects.
- increases the excretion (via the kidneys) of fluids and waste products of protein metabolism, inorganic phosphorous and salt in normal individuals.
- can facilitate elimination through the large intestines by mechanically stimulating peristalsis and improving tone.
- stimulates peristalsis and can reduce cramping or spasm in the digestive tract.

Skin
- helps to reduce tension in the skin and adjoining tissues as well as increasing its circulation and improve its nutrition.
- depending on the medium used to apply it can help to re-moisturise, and soften dry skin.
- can help with some skin conditions like eczema, but please check with your Doctor to make sure that what you have is not contagious.

Respiratory
- deepens and normalises the breathing pattern through relaxation, and release of tension in the breathing structures, both the rib cage and the muscles of respiration.
- can help to relieve congestion in the lungs through percussive and compressive movements.
- increases the action of the heart, stimulating the blood flow to and from the lungs, helping with the elimination of waste and the absorption of oxygen.