Science-based massage?! Let me explain....

​

It is my job, as a professional, to be honest and upfront in this regard. The sad truth is that massage therapy has almost no significant proven medical benefits and is burdened with an embarrassing number of myths and a history of amateurish research. Massage therapists are hardly alone in this: the entire field of musculoskeletal medicine is generally scientifically improverished and lagging well behind most of the rest of evidence-based medicine. It is important to know that massage therapy does not provide many of the benefits as once thought. Our hands cannot stretch your muscles, flush your toxins or break up your knots, among other myths.

 

Science shows, however, it's a great way to down regulate the nervous system from everyday stressors. Massage has some plausible benefits such as enhancing mood, reducing anxiety & promoting better sleep patterns. Massage can be a rich and novel sensory experience, which can in turn be a major mechanism for therapeutic benefits and even pain relief specifically. If massage works, it’s probably mainly because of the neurology of touch (as opposed to, say, changing tissues).