subject: Stress Levels Can Be Reduced Through Mmassage Therapy [print this page] In todays busy world, it is easy to become overly stressed about your career, finances, family, and any number of other concerns. The pressures of daily life can have adverse affects on a persons mood and stress level. This can result in them being short tempered and irritable, depressed, or anxious. It can induce a loss of appetite or cause them to overindulge in comfort foods. Stress can even cause physical problems, ranging from skin rashes to serious head and back aches! There are several ways that a person can help to reduce their stress level, and one of the best ways is through massage therapy.
Massage therapy is an ancient form of relaxation that is still used in modern times. It involves the therapeutic manipulation of muscles, tendons, and joints, and a massage therapist will often use their hands, fingers, elbows, and forearms to apply pressure to various parts of the subjects body.
Therapeutic massage is commonly performed with the subject lying flat on a specially designed massage table, or sitting in a massage chair. A massage table is usually used in a private setting, while a chair is more portable, and is therefore more often seen in a public setting, such as corporate offices and shopping malls. A massage patient will often remove some or all of their clothing prior to treatment on a massage table, and will often be covered with a towel or sheet for modesty.
This type of treatment can have a lasting, positive effect on the body when used regularly, and can give immediate benefits after only one treatment. Immediate benefits include partial alleviation of headaches and backaches, reduction of high blood pressure, and a reduction of overall stress levels. More long term effects, such as promoting better sleep cycles, as well as a reduction of depression and anxiety, can be seen after repeated treatment sessions.
