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These days, we're collectively experiencing higher stress levels than we’re used to. Stress can affect not only your mental health but also your physical health. Living with untreated stress and anxiety can cause illness and fatigue, making it almost impossible to complete day-to-day activities. This blog will take you through some of the best massage benefits for stress-related symptoms and appropriate massages for stress relief. So, keep scrolling and find out how you can take back control and live the way you want to.
The main signs of stress
Unfortunately, stress and anxiety can manifest in numerous ways. This makes it harder to find the cause and treat it accordingly. However, there are some things you can look out for if you feel like you are experiencing a higher level of stress. Some of the most prominent symptoms of stress include;
Increased heart rate
An increased heart rate can be one of the surefire ways to identify if you are experiencing stress or anxiety. A regular heart rate is between 60-100bpm. If your heart beats more than 100 times per minute, that could be an indication of excessive panic.
Tightness in the chest
Tightness in the chest or pressure weighing you down can also attribute to anxiety. When combined with shortness of breath, it usually indicates a panic attack. However, If you experience severe pain or aching in the chest, it could be a sign of an underlying issue and should be checked by a medical professional.
Shortness of breath
As mentioned before, having trouble breathing or experiencing shortness of breath can usually indicate a panic attack.
Insomnia
Insomnia or difficulty sleeping is the main sign of stress and anxiety. This can lead to tossing and turning throughout the night, affecting your mind and body.
Can massage reduce stress?
So, how does massage reduce stress? Well, studies have proven that just receiving a massage for just ten minutes a day can have a positive effect on stress and anxiety.
Engage relaxation responses
When receiving a massage, your parasympathetic nervous system (which controls your fight or flight response) disengages. This process allows your muscles to relax while releasing endorphins to fight the buildup of cortisol (hormone commonly associated with stress).
Reduce muscle soreness and tension
The pressure from a massage reduces muscle soreness and tension. Physiotherapy is also another way of reducing muscle soreness and aching. Visit Domain Health Physiotherapy and explore what's right for you.
Improves sleep and reduces irritability
As massages relax muscle tissue, your body releases melatonin, a natural hormone that allows your body to rest and heal itself overnight. The healing associated with REM provides a good night's rest while reducing irritability in the morning.
Mental health benefits
Having these reactions to stress can be exhausting, mentally and physically. Massages allow you to relax and calm down, diminishing stress on the body and stimulating your mind.
Blood flow and circulation
Massages for stress can increase blood flow and circulation. Blood circulation is critical in maintaining a healthy body as it can reduce stress, shortness of breath, and slow heart palpitations.
Types of massages that help stress
Now that we know the benefits of massages for stress, we can begin to determine what style is right for you. Here are our top three best massages for stress relief. We recommend you try all these styles before deciding what's right for you.
Therapeutic massage
Therapeutic massages are the most common form of massages. They’re primarily used to treat specific areas generating blood circulation, improving stress, and promoting relaxation.
Deep tissue massage
In deep tissue massages, pressure is applied to the muscles and tissues in the inner layers. The most common use is for musculoskeletal problems, sports injuries, and chronic pain management.
Swedish massage
Swedish massages use light tapping and kneading motions to treat stiffness and improve flexibility throughout the body.
Reduce stress at home with massage chairs
Consistency is one of the most important things to consider when using massages for stress. Massage therapy can indeed provide immediate relief. However, to see the long-term results, you’ll need continual treatment. Massage chairs have been scientifically proven to reduce stress and pain when used regularly. That's why Masseuse Massage Chairs provides high-quality, stress-reducing massage chairs that you can use from the comfort of your own home.
Remedial Deluxe+ Massage Chair
The Remedial Deluxe+ massage chair features the latest 4D Intelligent technology with therapeutic ZeroGravity capabilities. It provides the most realistic, full-body massage that reaches all the places a regular massage chair won't. Some of its most appealing features include:
- Radiating Hot Stone massage setting.
- Leg Massagers that focus on the calf and ankles.
- Reflexology Rollers with 88 nodes to focus all over the foot.
- Magnetic Therapy alleviates aches and pain in the legs, ankles and feet.
- LCD Remote Control for convenience and accessibility.
All these features are combined to give you the best quality massage in the comfort of your own home.
Other ways to combat stress and anxiety
Though massages can be one of the best ways to alleviate stress and pain associated with anxiety, there is a variety of other things you can do to get the most out of life.
Meditation and mindfulness
Meditation and mindfulness is one of the ways you can engage with your mental health. This means being in the moment and in touch with yourself instead of overthinking. You can achieve mindfulness by meditating and training your brain. This practice can help you tame your anxiety and control your emotions.
Increase sleep quality
We all know that sleeping is important; that's why we spend over a quarter of our lifetime sleeping. It gives our bodies time to rest, heal, and reset. That's why it's so important not to carry any stress, anxiety or tension to bed. Click to check out the full benefits of massage on sleep.
Increase social activity
Increasing social activity is one of the fastest ways to combat stress. Having people around you can help by distracting you from overthinking. If you’re not a social butterfly, that's okay. Start small! Having a small, tight group of people around you can often help your anxiety without you even knowing it!
Reduce stress today with Masseuse Massage
Now that we’ve gone through the basics of managing stress and anxiety, check out Masseuse Massage Chairs' range of Massage Chairs and Massage Guns. It's time to regain that pep in your step because there's nothing more important than taking care of your mind, body and soul.
