| Research on massage therapy, and its benefits, | | | | massage any more. |
| continues to show that it reduces heart rate, | | | | I believe massage therapy is absolutely key in the |
| lowers blood pressure, increases endorphins, and | | | | healing process not only in the hospital |
| the circulation of blood and lymph fluids. Research | | | | environment but because it relieves stress, it is |
| has also shown that therapeutic massage relaxes | | | | obviously foundational in the healing process any |
| muscles, and improves range of motion (ROI). | | | | time and anywhere." |
| While massage does not increase muscle | | | | In the past century research on the benefits |
| strength, massage can increase muscle tone. | | | | massage therapy has yeilded some very |
| Therapeutic massage also helps the body's | | | | encouraging findings. |
| homostatic functions thereby decreasing the | | | | There is research showing that Office workers |
| amount of time needed to recover after exercise | | | | felt less stress, experienced heightened alertness |
| or injury which is often caused by muscle | | | | and increased performance, when getting regular |
| stiffness (inflexibility). Massage helps in keeping the | | | | massage sessions. Some of the other findings |
| proper amount of fluid circulating between muscle | | | | from research on the benefits of massage |
| fibers, and in rehydrating dehydrated fibers. | | | | therapy are: |
| Joan Borysenko ( a medical scientist, licensed | | | | - University students, in New Jersey, massaged |
| clinical psychologist, and cofounder of the Mind | | | | before an exam showed a significant decrease in |
| Body Clinic at Harvard Medical School, had this to | | | | anxiety and respiration rates. It was also found |
| say when interviewed by the Massage Journal, in | | | | they had a measurable increase their white blood |
| 1999: | | | | cell count and in the production of T-cells so |
| "Often times people are stressed in our culture. | | | | important to the immune system. |
| Stress-related disorders make up between | | | | - After receiving therapeutic massage a group of |
| 80-and-90 percent of the ailments that bring | | | | cancer patients experienced reduced pain and |
| people to family-practice physicians. What they | | | | anxiety. |
| require is someone to listen, someone to touch | | | | - An university study found that mothers who |
| them, someone to care. That does not exist in | | | | had recently suffered the death of a child, |
| modern medicine. | | | | experienced reduced levels of depression after |
| One of the complaints heard frequently is that | | | | receiving therapeutic massage. |
| physicians don't touch their patients any more. | | | | - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted |
| Touch just isn't there. Years ago massage was a | | | | studies that found therapeutic massage was |
| big part of nursing. There was so much care, so | | | | beneficial in improving weight gain in HIV infants. |
| much touch, so much goodness conveyed | | | | - Reseachers at the Touch Research Institute |
| through massage. Now nurses for the most part | | | | (University of Miami) found therapeutic massage |
| are as busy as physicians. They're writing charts, | | | | helpful in reducing blood pressure. The same |
| dealing with insurance notes, they're doing | | | | research has found that therapeutic massage |
| procedures and often there is no room for | | | | helps in reducing pain in migraine sufferers. |