In a previous article, we touched on the subject on how remedial massage is distinct from the common massage therapies in spas and fitness clinics. While ordinary massage is seen as a method or technique for relaxation, remedial massage therapy is a medical art and modality on its own in which a methodological evaluation is done before the actual treatment is applied. Its aim is the rehabilitation of an injured body part and the management of the injury’s accompanying pain or discomfort.

With such definition and distinction of remedial massage therapy, the next question you can ask is this…

Can I go to and have a session with a remedial massage therapist even if I do not have an injury?

Yes, you can! You need not be injured or experiencing severe pain on any of your body parts to have a session with a remedial massage therapist. Mind you, remedial massage is not just going to provide you relaxation; it goes beyond relieving aches from your body. If sessions are done regularly, the benefits on your health and wellness are tremendous and for the long term. Various studies of health scientists have found out that remedial massage is not just rubbing, pressing, and soothing your body parts. Some of the effects may surprise you.

1. Comfort for Cancer Patients

Cancer patients, who are undergoing therapy such as chemo and radiation, experience pain and discomfort. Remedial massage relieves the pain and alleviates tiredness and anxiety brought about by the depressing disease.

2. Beautifying Results

Manual manipulation of the joints, muscles, and skin (and that includes your face) increases the flow of blood on the veins. This will make limp skin turn healthily plump and drain toxic substances from the cells so nutrients can come in freely. With the toxins out and nutrients fueling the skin cells, your complexion turns from dull to vibrantly beautiful.

3. Beat Headaches

How many of us do not experience occasional headaches? None! Because of work, life’s stresses, and the various chemicals we inhale and consume, migraines have become a common illness among adults. Luckily, there is remedial massage to counter this condition. It reduces the occurrence of migraines and prevents the pain from being experienced frequently. Because of the relaxing effect it brings, stressful emotions like anger and anxiety can be soothed, thereby preventing them from causing headaches.

4. Smartness Booster

Being alert and intelligent can empower you to succeed and achieve more in life. An experiment chronicled in the International Journal of Neuroscience shows that, after undergoing massage therapy, 26 adults gained an increase of intellectual performance when asked to solve complex math problems. (Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8884390)

5. Counter the Discomfort due to PMS

PMS means Pre-Menstrual Syndrome. Before menstruation, some women will feel mood swings and even pain in their abdomen. Here is where your expert remedial massage therapist can come to your rescue.

6. Fortify the Immune System

In an experiment done in 2010 and recorded in the Science Daily, it was found out that adults who underwent remedial massage had an increase on the responses of their endocrines and white blood cells, which are the main components of the body’s immunity to certain diseases. (Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100908094809.htm)

7. Sleep Benefactor

For those of you who have experienced a soothing massage and then you felt like Mr. Sandman was casting a spell on you, then we need not prove further that remedial massage has the power to relax your body systems and improve your sleeping habits.

8. Depression’s Formidable Enemy

As mentioned in #3 and #1, remedial massage relaxes the body and it relieves the person from the bad effects of negative emotions. Indeed, this wonderful therapy is the enemy of anxiety and depression – and a formidable one as well. Though it will not solve your life’s problems (they are yours to face and deal with), remedial massage decreases the emission of cortisol (a stress related hormone) thereby making you feel relaxed and at ease.

Final Note

So there you have it! Medical Website has provided you a list of 8 benefits you can enjoy from a session with your local remedial massage therapist. There may be other healthy effects of remedial massage therapy that were not listed here. Yet, then again, that just goes to show that remedial massage is not just mere rubbing, pressing, and stretching of your joints and muscles.