'Massage therapy' - The healing power of touch.
Massage therapy, (the healing power of touch), can help relieve pain, speed recovery from injury or surgery, and reduce stress.
There is an assumption among senior people that when they get old means they have to live with pain and discomfort, there is help that can ease pain through the reduction of inflammation and muscle soreness and help men stay more active.
Many Baby Boomers think of massage as a vacation indulgence or treat, massage therapy is an ancient method reducing pain and to improve health and wellbeing.
Massage therapy dates back to ancient cultures that believed in massage medical benefits. The first known written massage therapy traditions come from India, Hindus used the art of healing touch in the practice of Ayurvedic medicine. Ayurveda, translates to “life health” or “life science.” It is regarded as the basis of holistic medicine for relaxation. The practice may have actually originated around 3000 BCE or earlier.
There is evidence that massage therapy can help with recovery from injury or surgery. Massage therapies have proven relaxing qualities and are a way to reduce stress and tension. In many cases, a regular massage enables the reduction in prescription medications It may be said to be one of the best types of medicine. Multiple studies have found massage therapy helps reduce specific pain and soreness.
Many senior men may view massage as something not for them, but it can vastly improve their quality of life. When men embrace massage therapy, they often find it can make an immeasurable difference in relieving the pain and soreness they had long accepted
A common health issues for golden agers is chronic pain, pain that lasts more than 12 weeks. This includes back pain, headache, cancer pain, and arthritis pain. Then there are the everyday aches from daily living. All of these act as barriers to a healthy lifestyle.
A research study in 2014 published in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation studied the effects of massage therapy on muscle soreness after exercise. The research study relieved that blood flow increased within those who exercised received massage for up to 72 hours, while those who only exercise blood flow reduced after 90 minutes. Increased circulation can help muscle recover quicker and reduce the incidence of muscle injuries.
In 2013, research was conducted that measured the effects of massage in regards to occupational stress. The research study was based on two group.
Group 1 participated in 25-minute massages, twice a week for four weeks,
Group 2 did not receive massage.
The results showed a significant decrease in occupational stress for Group 1, compared to Group 2, revealing that there are benefits from receiving regular massage and can combating the everyday stresses that affect so many of us.
A 2011 research study published in Annals of Internal Medicine explored how massage compares with medication in relieving chronic pain. The research study group was 400 people. The feedback from those who received a hour-long massages weekly for 10 weeks was that 40% reported their soft tissue pain had reduced or was relieved, compared with just 4% of the medication group who were treated with anti-inflammatory medication.
Is it not time to stop considering massage as an indulgence, but as an useful therapeutic tool?
Resources
https://www.ten.co.uk/massage-therapy-mental-health
https://www.health.harvard.edu/alternative-and-complementary-medicine/the-healing-power-of-touch