Prolonged stress can have serious health consequences – a well-known fact that may contribute to Americans’ willingness to spend money on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), like massage therapy.
In 2007, Americans spent $33.9 billion on CAM, according to a study by the National Center for Health Statistics. Whether stress is job, family or health related, massage is seen as a cost-effective way to positively impact overall health. As opposed to vacation or extended time off, a rejuvenating massage – whether it’s once a week or twice a month – can have lasting, positive effects on a person’s ability to process stress.
Experts from Cortiva Institute say that simply laying down and doing nothing for an hour a day can be beneficial to someone experiencing stress. Combine that with the rejuvenating aspects of lying down while a professional massage therapist works to relieve muscle tension and the positive outcomes multiply.
