When you think about a relaxing massage, your mind probably goes straight to back massages, or perhaps neck and shoulders. But one often overlooked area that provides lots of relaxation and health benefits is the feet. Even if you don’t like people touching your feet, the firm pressure used in foot massage doesn’t tend to bother even the most ticklish people.
A lot of people choose foot massage as a quick treatment for which they don’t have to get undressed. Let’s look at some of the other great benefits it provides.
Increases blood circulation
Most of us spend the majority of our day either sitting or lying down. This means our feet don’t get much use. Add this to the fact that they’re tied up in shoes and socks for most of the day, and you’ve got a pretty restricted blood flow to the area. Regular foot massage helps to promote blood flow to these extremities. This is beneficial to everyone’s health, but especially for anyone with poor circulation or health conditions like diabetes or Raynaud’s Disease.
Lowers blood pressure
Another heart-healthy benefit of foot massage is that it helps to lower your blood pressure. People can get high blood pressure as a result of stress, bad diet, smoking, genetics, and other factors, and it can lead to numerous health conditions, such as heart disease and stroke. Massage is a simple and natural way to bring your blood pressure down and keep your heart in good condition.
Improves your mood
Foot massage doesn’t only boost your physical health, but also your mental health. The relaxing effects help you feel better and sleep better at night, which helps to keep your hormones balanced and make you feel better overall. Foot massage has even been found to be effective in managing symptoms of depression. The relaxation effect also helps patients to deal with stress and anxiety.
Helps to relieve pain
Massage effectively relieves foot pain by treating the muscles and tendons in the area, which is great for people who spend all day on their feet. And this benefit doesn’t just apply to pain in your feet, ankles, and lower legs. Foot massage has been found to have pain-relieving effects in other areas, even helping to treat migraines and tension headaches.
Reduces swelling
Another benefit of the increased circulation caused by foot massage is that it moves lymphatic fluid around as well as blood. This helps to drain any excess fluid which can build up in your extremities, resulting in swelling around the feet, ankles, and lower leg. This is especially a common problem among pregnant women. Foot massage can reduce this swelling and make you feel more comfortable.
Are you ready to try a foot massage or reflexology? Contact Moonstone Massage to find out more about our massage services, or go online and book an appointment with us today. We serve patients in and around Winston Salem, Pfafftown, and Lewisville, NC.