Be Well: The Science Behind Massage

NWHSU | January 04, 2019

It may sound like magic, but touch therapy can both heal and prevent pain. NWHSU and MSP Mag explain how it works.

For many people, getting a massage is all about pampering and relaxation. But it turns out there’s more going on than just unwinding. There are scientific reasons why massage is good for us, from promoting healing to preventing pain and injury.

Whether you are hurting from a car accident, slip-and-fall injury, or too much desk time, massage is a great way to start feeling better. Massage therapists are skilled in relieving pain through healing touch techniques and preventing it, too. Massage keeps soft tissues rested, relaxed, and better able to withstand the wrongs we do to our bodies.

Cathy Cohen, a licensed massage therapist and continuing education provider at Northwestern Health Science University, sees it all the time with clients. They come to her with low back and neck pain, headaches, sore texting thumbs, and more. “We spend a lot of time dealing with muscular aches and pains,” she says. “At the core of a lot of those problems is muscular tension and dysfunction.”

Read the full story from Minneapolis.St.Paul Magazine’s Be Well here.