What are the benefits of Massage?
Massage is an effective tool for managing stress. It translates into:
- Decreased anxiety.
- Enhanced sleep quality.
- Greater energy.
- Improved concentration.
- Increased circulation.
- Reduced fatigue.
Body work can help specifically address a number of health issues:
- Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
- Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.
- Ease medication dependence.
- Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body’s natural defense system.
- Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
- Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.
- Improve the condition of the body’s largest organ—the skin.
- Increase joint flexibility.
- Lessen depression and anxiety.
- Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.
- Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.
- Reduce postsurgery adhesions and swelling.
- Reduce spasms and cramping.
- Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.
- Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body’s natural painkiller.
- Relieve migraine pain.
Human & Canine Massage: Are the Benefits & Techniques Different?
No. Human and Canine massage can be offered for relaxation, rehabilitation or for athletic competition (i.e. sports massage) purposes. The benefit of massage for dogs is equivalent to the benefit experienced by humans.
As an example effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapotement, vibration, skin rolling, and rocking all are strokes and techniques used for both human and canine massage.