Massage Therapy Provides Veterans with Life-Changing Alternative Treatment
WBGN (Johnson City, NY) describes a first-of-its-kind Veteran’s Affairs program that provides massage therapy as an alternative to painkillers and other forms of pain management. The Syracuse, NY, VA office program has helped over 2,000 veterans since it was launched three years ago. Some say the therapy has been life-changing. For veterans with PTSD, nothing else helped until they received massage therapy treatments. Read more.
Massage Therapy is a Complementary Approach to Managing High Blood Pressure
More than 1 billion or 40 percent of adults worldwide suffer from high blood pressure or hypertension, reports Psychology Today. While it is preventable and treatable, high blood pressure is a major risk factor for a stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney failure. Because it has no symptoms – it is called the “silent killer”- it is estimated that the number of high blood pressure cases will increase by 50 percent over the next 30 years. An integrative approach to healthcare is being recommended to keep high blood pressure under control. In particular, massage therapy is cited as being beneficial to manage and potentially even reverse hypertension. In one study, 10 women aged 60 to 68 received a two-hour massage every day for 10 days. In the end, both their systolic and diastolic blood pressures dropped by several points each day. Read more.
CBD and Massage Go Hand in Hand
Akron Beacon Journal interviewed local owners of a local massage therapy studio and spa who have added CBD-infused massage to their menu. The owners indicate that clients ask for the treatment of about 10 percent of the time and are very positive about the results. CBD-infused massage includes both cream and oil products. The additional cost of the massage with CBD has not diminished client enthusiasm. Read more.
The Scientific Benefits of Touch and How to Get More of it from Each Other
Shape Magazine examines the benefits of touch, including an interview with Dr. Tiffany Field, the Touch Research Institute director at the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine. Field explains that touch stimulates the vagus nerve, whose primary role is to slow down the nervous system. Research from Field on adults with major illnesses indicates that massage therapy helped boost participants’ natural killer cells, which attack bacterial, viral, and cancer cells. Massage can even improve sleep patterns because of its calming effect. However, despite all its benefits, it seems people are actually touching each other less these days. Shape provides ways to tap into touch besides professional massage therapy, including consensual person-to-person contacts, self-massage, yoga, and even a “weighted” blanket. Read more.