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Medical Benefits of Foot Massagers

Foot Massagers are more than just about relaxing me-time. Studies show the physical and emotional benefits that come from getting even a single foot massage. As the number of medical benefits grows, so do the number of Americans who turn to foot massages for a more balanced lifestyle. Below are just a few medical benefits you can experience with regular foot massager therapy.

1. It relieves stress.

Stress affects not only your mental well-being, but it has a physiological impact on your health as well.

Stress leads to many problems such as insomnia, poor appetite and high blood pressure. Alleviating stress reduces levels of cortisol in the bloodstream, which helps to control blood pressure.

Stress relief is the key to achieving a healthy lifestyle. Even a single foot massage can significantly lower your heart rate, and your cortisol and insulin levels - all of which help reduce daily stress.

2. It lowers blood pressure.

High blood pressure has more misconceptions than nearly any other medical condition. But one effective way to stave off high blood pressure naturally is getting a relaxing foot massage.

3. It stimulates the body's secretion of endorphins.

Endorphins are neurotransmitters that help to reduce the perception of pain and lessen the effects of stress. Endorphins create a feeling of well-being and enhance the immune response. Studies show that foot massages trigger the secretion of endorphins.

4. It relaxes your muscles and helps you to maintain good posture.

Got bad neck, back, or muscle pain? Odds are that sitting all day at the office is the culprit. Foot massages can get to the root of pain by relaxing your stiff muscles.Foot massages target specific muscles and use several kinds of strokes to relieve pain. As muscles relax, imbalances are corrected.
Relaxed muscles allow the body to move with increased mobility. A natural tendency to alleviate pain is to compensate by using another set of muscles. This often places undue stress on adjacent muscles and ligaments. For example, a sore hip may make someone sit unevenly to reduce pressure on the painful side. This causes the muscles along the lower spine to bear weight unevenly. Neck or shoulder muscles may become strained from misalignment or from bearing weight usually held by the lower spine. After a session in a foot massager, many people feel that their posture and balance have improved.
Unlike other bad habits, poor posture can be relaxing to correct. Foot massage helps reinforce healthy and natural movements, which can get posture back on track.

5. It improves your circulation.

Increased circulation promotes healing. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to cells and organs and removes toxins. Constricted, tense muscles can constrict blood flow. By relaxing the muscles, blood can flow to the tissues and organs. The Mayo Clinic reports that the immune system can be strengthened by foot massages. The pressure created by foot massage therapy moves blood through congested areas. This causes new blood to flow in, improving circulation and resulting in improved body function.

6. It improves flexibility and range of motion.

As we age, joints tend to tighten, making range of motion more restricted. Foot massages help keep your leg joints and muscles more fluid, making you more flexible and less prone to injury.

7. It encourages relaxation.

Relax. Reset. Repeat. Foot massages help the body enter a relaxing rest-and-recovery mode - an effect that lingers long after the massage is over.

FOOT MASSAGE BENEFITS

Improve Sleep

If you’ve ever dozed off while getting a foot massage, you don’t need to be convinced that one can promote healthy sleep. A number of studies have examined this link, and chalked it up to a massage’s effect on delta waves - the kind of brain waves connected to deep sleep, according to Health magazine.

Ease Pain

8 out of 10 Americans experience chronic foot pain, according to Time.com, but a foot massage can help with that. According to a 2011 study, foot massages have helped people in pain feel and function better compared to those who didn’t receive any massage treatment. “We found the benefits of massages are about as strong as those reported for other kind of effective treatments: medications, acupuncture, exercise, and yoga,” Dan Cherkin, Ph.D., lead author of the study, said in a press release. Massages have also been linked to decreased stiffness and pain, as well as better range of motion in people with osteoarthritis.

Manage Anxiety and Depression

For the same reasons that a foot massage is relaxing, it can also soothe anxiety and depression. Foot massages reduce levels of the stress hormone called cortisol, resulting in lifted spirits and often lower blood pressure. It can also boost the neurotransmitters called serotonin and dopamine, which are involved in depression.

Ease and Eliminate Stress

Because of many of the benefits listed above, foot massages are particularly helpful for people who are living with severe symptoms of anxiety. Various studies have shown that foot massages can relieve fatigue, pain, anxiety, depression, and nausea in people who are suffering from stress.