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•	Cardiovascular (heart blood vessels ) Improves circulation by mechanically assisting venous Blood flow Increase circulation up to three times Temporarily decrease blood pressure Improves the delivery and removal of products in the Blood (nutrients, oxygen & metabolic wastes ) Temporarily increase systolic stroke volume Increase both functional red & white blood cells Reduces ischemia, a major cause of muscular pain
•	Lymphovascular reduces lymphedema ( swelling ) increase natural killer cell stimulates sebaceous glands, causing increased sebum production which improves skin condition, texture & tone brings added nutrients to skin surface reduces formation & adhesion of scar tissue
•	Nervous & Endocrine Systems decreases pain by releasing endorphins releves pain caused from hypersensitive trigger points mechanically stretches & broadens tissues stimulates the parasympathic nervous system thus promoting relaxtion reduces stress hormones decreases stress levels & depression
•	Muscular System relieves muscular restrictions, tightness, stiffness, & spasms improves muscular nutrition thus decreasing muscular fatigue & soreness promotes rapid disposal of waste products & replenishment of nutritive materials interrupts the pain cycle helps maintain muscles in the best possible state of nutrition, flexibility & vitality
•	Connective Tissue ( bone & soft tissue ) when performed around a stable fracture, increases retention of nutrients helps with cellulite makes a body more mobile by reducing hyper-plasia ( thickening ) of connective tissue displaces adhesions & rearranges scar tissue
•	Respiration slows down the rate of respiration mechanical loosening & discharge of phlegm freeing tight respiratory muscles & fascia
•	Digestion & Elimination promotes excitation of perigtalic activity in the large intestine helping to relive colic & intestinal gas relieves constipation stimulates digestion
•	Urinary & Excretory increases urine output promotes the excretion of nitrogen, inorganic phosphorus & sodium chloride
•	Phychological Effects reduces stress & anxiety people with adhd are less fidgety & hyperactive after a massage enhances well-being & body awareness helps satisfy the needs for intimacy, caring & nurturing touch assist the ease of emotional expression through relaxtion given to victims of rape & spousal abuse produce a reduction in touch aversion increases mental alertness decreased feelings of depression & anxiety gives a sense of renewed energy
•	Indications for massage most types of headaches insomnia stress & anxiety fatique & muscle soreness pain associated with musculoskeletal conditions poor circulation stiffness due to fascial restrictions, muscle tension & muscle soreness digestive & elimination problems swelling due to lymphedema muscular component of temporomandibolar joint ( t m j ) dysfunction respiratory drainage speed the healing of overuse injuries sprains & strains skin conditions ( dry skin ) conditions of nerve entrapment

The Benefits of Massage: Is Bodywork Right For Me?
Massage provides relief to people of all ages-from infants to seniors-and from all walks of life-the weekend or competitive athlete to the home gardener or overstressed, overworked executive.

Treating the Body
Massage therapy addresses a variety of health conditions, the most prevalent being stress-related tension, which, experts believe, accounts for 80%-90% of disease. Massage has been proven beneficial in treating cancer-related fatigue, sleep disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes, low back pain, immunity suppression, spinal cord injury, autism, post-operative surgery, age-related disorders, infertility, eating disorders, smoking cessation, and depression, to name just a few. Here's why:

Bodywork offers a drug-free, non-invasive and humanistic approach based on the body's natural ability to heal itself. Massage has many physiological effects, such as:

•	Increasing circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs.
•	Stimulating the lymph system, the body's natural defense, against toxic invaders. For example, in breast cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase the cells that fight cancer.
•	Relaxing and softening injured and overused muscles.
•	Reducing spasms and cramping.
•	Increasing joint flexibility.
•	Reducing recovery time for strenuous workouts and eliminating subsequent pains of the athlete at any level.
•	Releasing endorphins, the body's natural painkiller. For this reason, massage is being incorporated into treatment for chronic illness, injury and recovery from surgery to control and relieve pain.
•	Reducing post-surgery adhesions and edema and reducing and realigning scar tissue after healing has occurred.
•	Improving range of motion and decreasing discomfort for patients with low back pain.
•	Relieving pain for migraine sufferers and decreasing the need for medication.
•	Providing exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles and reducing shortening of the muscles for those with restricted range of motion.
•	Contributing to shorter labor and reduced tearing for expectant mothers, as well as lessening the need for medication, minimizing depression and anxiety, and shortening hospital stays.

It's important to note that there are some conditions where massage is not recommended. For example, massage is contraindicated in people with:

•	Certain forms of cancer
•	Phlebitis
•	Some cardiac problems
•	Some skin conditions
•	Infectious diseases

Your practitioner should ask you about your specific health conditions and determine if massage, bodywork or somatic therapies are a good idea. In some cases, the practitioner may need your massage therapist's permission before providing services.

Treating the Spirit
Massage also provides another therapeutic component largely absent in today's world: tactile stimulation, or, more simply, touch. In 1986, the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami published groundbreaking research on the effects of massage on premature babies. The preterm babies who received massage therapy showed 47% greater weight gain and six-day shorter hospital stays than the infants who were not receiving massage. But is this study evidence of what loving touch can do spiritually, or rather what massage can do on a physiological level? Regardless, babies are not the only benefactors.
Many adults have reported cathartic experiences on the massage table. As a therapist carefully unwinds a client's stressed and tired muscles, the therapist may very well be unwinding the taut, pent-up emotions that one doesn't always have time to process in the middle of the day. And the feeling of being touched in a safe, caring, compassionate manner can be a very powerful experience, reminding the client that she or he is not alone in the world.