Today’s world can be incredibly stressful for everyone, from busy work schedules, to school, to a balanced social life, to family, and more. Keeping track of everything can push anyone to their limits, which is why it’s so important to take breaks every now and then to take care of yourself. Self-care comes in many different forms: eating healthy, exercising, and treating yourself to the occasional splurge on things that make you happy.
However, there’s one form of self-care you should be making use of more frequently that often goes overlooked: massages. Massage therapy can be useful for relieving stress and pain in a variety of situations, making it an effective part of any self-care toolkit.
Massage For Stress Relief
There’s a reason massages are available in nearly every spa you’ll find; massages are one of the top ways people can choose to relieve their stress. It’s not just the setting that helps reduce stress either. Studies have shown that massage has been effective in reducing anxiety levels following surgery or other short-term stressful conditions.
Different types of massage are effective in different ways, and not every type is suited for relieving anxiety, but it can be a great place to start if you’ve found yourself stressing out more than usual.
Caring For Chronic Conditions
Massage therapy isn’t just helpful for your mental health. 92% of people agree that massage can be effective in reducing pain. This includes both temporary conditions as well as long-term chronic conditions that might be causing higher pain levels day-to-day. If you’ve found yourself dealing with stress-related pain, a massage might be a good option.
You won’t always need a full-body massage to address your pain, particularly if you’re dealing with a chronic condition that causes pain in one part of your body. For example, about 10% of the population is affected by plantar fasciitis. Foot and leg massages can help alleviate some of the pain associated with this chronic condition, especially if it becomes a regular part of your self-care routine.
Budget-Friendly Options
While massage therapy can be very helpful, it’s not always cost-effective for everyone. If you’re looking for massage therapy as a way to treat chronic pain or another medical condition, you might benefit from talking to your doctor about it. Massage therapy is available in roughly 42% of hospitals worldwide, meaning it might be covered by your insurance.
If you’re looking to include massage therapy as part of your at-home self-care routine, there are a few affordable ways you can make it work. Plenty of options exist for taking common at-home items and turning them into stress-relieving massage tools for those on a budget. You won’t necessarily need to spend tons of money on massages from a professional to see the benefits of massage therapy in your self-care routine.
Massages can be a great part of any effective self-care routine, whether you’re seeing a professional massage therapist or looking for at-home treatments. Will you be adding massage to your normal self-care routine?
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