Massage and Blood Pressure

Posted: January 20th, 2014

Massage therapy helps to relieve tension, stress, and anxiety. These are all common contributors to high blood pressure, so it only makes sense that massage therapy can help lower blood pressure, too. Massage involves many hands-on techniques and can be deep or gentle. It is a very relaxing experience. If you experience stress on a regular basis, massage is a soothing treatment that can not only lower your blood pressure, but overall levels of stress and help to relax you. Studies have shown that if treated on a regular basis, massage patients show improvement in heart rate, lowered blood pressure and stress levels. Additionally, massage improves circulation which may reduce edema or swelling that occurs with high blood pressure. Maintaining a lower blood pressure is important for many reasons. It is referred to as the silent killer because it shows no symptoms and can lead to heart attack, stroke, even kidney failure. Having a low blood pressure can lower anxiety levels, depression, and hostility. It is also beneficial in keeping stress hormone levels under control. Before considering trying massage therapy to aid in lowering your blood pressure, it is recommended you talk it over with your doctor to seek their advice. They can advise if this therapy is right for you and even help in choosing a licensed therapist. If you and your physicist agree that massage therapy may work for your hypertension, it can prove to be a very safe and non-invasive alternative to prescription medications. Used as part of an over-all plan in conjunction with regular visits to your doctor, massage can alleviate your stress and lower your blood pressure.