When we consider the health benefits of massage, we tend to think of muscle relaxation and pain relief.  Although this is true, there are actually many more benefits for different groups of people. For example many people don’t realise is that the older generation can really benefit from massage therapy and in so many different ways.

There are many different types of massage out there which means that athletes, pregnant women and seniors can all benefit. Masseuses need to carry out massages in different ways in order to suit different people. If you are interested in signing up to any type of massage therapy then make sure the person you sign up with is fully trained and experienced.

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Benefiting Everyone

Most people accept that massage is quite a good way of staying healthy and happy. In fact a survey by the Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet in 2013 showed that over 50% of Americans thought it was so vital that it should be covered by health insurance.  However, most people assume that it is younger people that can benefit and perhaps in some way stop them from aging as quickly as they would like.

However, massage can help people who are much older too. When we are older we tend to suffer more with many different aches and pains as our bodies get older and our bones start to age. Without a doubt massage can help with these and ensure that aches and pains are kept to a minimum.

It makes sense when you consider it properly. If massage can help sportsmen, arthritis sufferers and other people with pain and muscle tension relief then why shouldn’t it be used to benefit the elderly too?

Stress Relief and Well Being

On top of pain relief massage can help in many different ways. Massage therapy is fantastic for helping people to unwind and feel much more relaxed. Often when we feel tense and upset, our pain is made much worse.

The right type of massage can help to relieve all sorts of pain and muscle tension. The direct result of this is a body that feels great and therefore a person’s well-being is automatically improved.  It is well known that a positive mental attitude can help to older people to deal better with problems and obstacles that they may encounter. As massage therapy can significantly improve the way we feel it is something that can help with this massively.

It is also known to help with conditions that can affect the elderly – Parkinson’s Disease, Arthritis etc.

What Does Massage For Older Adults Mean?

When it comes to carrying out massage on older people it is something that needs to be done properly and handled correctly. Older bodies are often much for fragile and therefore it is vital that they are handled correctly. If you are looking to sign up for any type of massage for older adults  you should make sure they specialise in geriatric massage.

A big part of massage for older adults deals with possible soft tissue damage and poor blood circulation as these are common issues. The massage needs to be firm but tender, because otherwise you could end up doing more damage than good and this is something that you’re going to want to avoid.

The very thought of having a massage, getting out of the house (or having someone visit) can be enough to perk up someone who is elderly. When someone is older they can feel that they have lost a sense of worth and having appointments like this to keep up with can really help with their motivation and happiness.

Health Benefits

The health benefits that geriatric massage can offer include:

– Help with self esteem
– Improved quality of life
– Better sleeping pattern
– Stress relief
– Help with anxiety issues and depression
– Pain relief
– Promoting illness and injuries to get better much more quickly
– Help with joint mobility and problems

Many people will benefit in different ways when it come to massage. A big part of this will depend on the type of massage that is carried out and the body part that is massaged. If you know someone elderly that suffers from aches and pains or other more serious ailments why not consider if massage could benefit them? If you feel it could then have a look for local people, experienced in massage for older adults and have a chat about what could do to help.