According
to Benny Vaughn, sports massage expert and owner of Athletic Therapy
Center in Fort Worth, Texas, one of the benefits of consistent and
regular massage therapy is better flexibility. "This happens because
regular and structured touch stimulus enhances the nervous system's
sensory and spatial processing capacity," he says. "That is, the person
becomes more aware of their body's movement in space and becomes more
aware of tightness or pain long before it reaches a critical point of
mechanical dysfunction."
Quite simply, frequent massage puts you more in tune with your body.
"The consistency of massage therapy over time creates a cumulative
stress reduction effect," Vaughn says. "The person becomes acutely aware
of stress within their body long before it can create stress-driven
damage."
He says the consistency of receiving regular massage therapy has the
potential to create a cumulative wellness effect. "Ultimately when one
feels good, our whole being follows suit on all other levels--i.e.,
decision-making is better, processing life events is better, and being
happy is easier when you are not in pain or feeling 'heavy' or 'tight.'"
Williams says she's certain people's lives would be changed if they
could schedule massage and bodywork more frequently. "I encourage
clients to commit to getting massage once a week for a month and then
evaluate the results they get," she says. "I guarantee they will become
massage enthusiasts for life."
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