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5 Reasons to Start 2023 With A Massage

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Another year has passed. It feels like the first time in a really long year, we finally get to put our guards down, even if it’s just a bit. What better way to wind down a hectic time, and recharge for the new year? Tropika Club invites you to recline and relax.

Table of Contents

Read Also: How to Give Better Massage for your Loved Ones

The Types of Massages

Forget about fancy spas and health clubs – the massage has reached the masses. You can find a masseuse in your neighbourhood businesses, clinics, and even airports. 

Before we get to the good stuff, let’s take a quick look at some of the common types of massages you can find nowadays:

  • Swedish massage: A gentle form of massage consisting of kneading, long strokes, circular movements, vibration and tapping.
  • Sports massage: Resembling the Swedish massage, the sports massage focuses on preventing and/or treating injuries from sports.
  • Trigger Point Massage: Another type of massage geared for heavy physical activities, this massage kneads on areas with tight muscles that form because of injury or overuse.
  • Deep Tissue Massage: This massage targets even deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. It uses slower, forceful strokes to treat muscle damage resulting from injury.
  • Tuina Massage: A staple of Traditional Chinese Medicine, this massage therapy enhances the flow of qi, promoting harmony within the body. It targets specific points in the body to treat various diseases, including musculoskeletal disorders and the diseases of internal organs.
  • Lymphatic Drainage Massage: Usually applied after surgery or during medical conditions, this massage stimulates the flow of liquids in your lymph nodes. This drains the lymph nodes, preventing fluid build-up.

5 Reasons Why A Massage is What You Need

Doctor’s should start giving prescriptions for massages. There’s a wide range of proven benefits, after all:

1. It relieves your muscle aches.

Here’s to those of you that’s been working out via Zoom classes. With little space and time to properly stretch your muscles, now’s a great time to treat yourself to a proper massage to treat your aching muscles.

Some research has shown that massages can do wonders in pain management. It can reduce not only stiffness and sores but inflammation too. It does so by enhancing the flow of pluripotent stem cells, a type of cells that can produce tissues and cells to repair your body.

2. It’s nature’s painkiller.

Here’s another way it helps with your body’s pain management. Massages can decrease the amount of cortisol – the body’s stress hormone. Not only that, it increases the amount of serotonin too. This can help the physical discomforts from chronic pain or injuries. Another study showed that bare-handed massages could activate the same part of the brain that respond to opioid painkillers like codeine.

You can even get this ‘painkiller effect’ without a massage therapist. Have a massage session right at the comforts of your living room. Get someone to use their fingers to press on specific pain points (commonly referred to as a knot). Maintain a medium amount of pressure for around ten seconds. During then, try and imagine the knot dissipating, which will help those muscles to relax.

But don’t rub the fingers around the knot. It should feel intense, uncomfortable, but never painful.

Or, get yourself a foam roller, a tennis ball, or a medicine ball. If you’re up for it, you can even use a golf ball.

3. It reduces stress and anxiety.

With lowered cortisol levels and increased serotonin levels, a massage can whisk away your stress and anxiety. What’s more? The repeated strokes during a massage can decrease the sympathetic tone – a component of your body that prepares it for stressful situations or emergencies.

That way, you can say goodbye to health risks brought on by chronic stress, and say hello to better mental health and wellbeing.

4. It improves your blood circulation and regulates blood pressure.

With that, it brings a host of health benefits. If you tend to get headaches, a neck massage could improve blood flow to the brain, alleviating the pain.

And, with your blood pressure in check, massages could help you sleep better too. Not to mention, it can boost serotonin levels, further improving your sleep.

5. It enhances your immunity.

Besides boosting your blood circulation, it can even change the contents of your blood itself. In a preliminary study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, people who had a 45-minute massage (a Swedish massage, actually) had higher levels of blood proteins compared to a control group. These blood proteins play a crucial role in preventing tumours, as well as viral infections and other pathogens.

The Risks of Massage

Like all good things, there are risks too. It’s best to stay away from massages if you have a medical history of deep vein thrombosis, severe osteoporosis, and severe thrombocytopenia. You should avoid massages when you have conditions that are still undergoing medical care, such as fractures, burns or healing wounds, and bleeding disorders.

Top Massage Spas Across Singapore

Wondering where you can escape to your next massage therapy? We’ve got it covered your you! Check out our picks for the top spas for a well-deserved massage in Singapore:

Meanwhile, check out Tropika Club’s Ecosystem of Websites

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Terence is Tropika Club Magazine's deputy editor who loves learning about animals and their behavior. He is also an anthropologist, so he is very interested in how different cultures interact with animals. He has worked in the publishing industry for over 10 years, and have been lucky enough to work with some amazing authors and editors.

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