Health Benefits of Massage:

Health Benefits of Massage:

• Reduces muscle spasm and pain of injuries
• Reduces or relieves chronic pain.
• Reduces fatigue and muscle tension
• Increases circulation and removal of cell waste.
• Increases flexibility of soft tissue and joints.
• May decrease time lost due to illness.
• Headache relief
• Faster injury healing
• Reduces blood pressure
• Creates greater joint flexibility
• Improves athletic performance
• Strengthens the immune system
• Enhances health & nourishment of skin
• Reduces effects of stress which is the cause of many diseases.
Massage has beneficial effects on nearly every body system. By accessing the parasympathetic nervous system, it helps the body to relax and relieves stress.  
• This relaxed state increases the activity of the digestive system which is inhibited when the body is in fight or flight syndrome caused by stress.
• Massage also increases the production of endorphins, the body's natural pain killers.  The muscular system is allowed to relax and areas of chronic pain and spasm are relieved. The pressure of the massage therapists hands helps to increase circulation of blood to areas that have been restricted from muscle spasm.
• The stroking movements aid in the flow of lymph fluid which boosts the body's immune response.
• Passive and active range of motion stretching and exercise can be included and are especially helpful in healing of injuries since they increase flexibility.  An injury can heal more quickly and efficiently with massage.
• Scar tissue can be influenced to heal in the direction of the line of fibers in the soft tissue which increases the mobility of the scar and reduces the chance of re-injury to the area.
• Massage can be an effective tool in stress management which will enhance overall well being and can reduce the effects of many stress related disorders.
• It is an effective adjunct to other health care modalities. Chiropractors and Osteopaths find that massage helps their manipulations to stay in place longer since the soft tissue relaxes.
Massage offers profound mental and emotional healing properties.

Source : http://www.themodernreligion.com/health/massage.html   Health Benefits of Massage