Massage reduces the effects of stress:

Massage therapy has an amazing effect on your body's nervous system.  When massage therapy activates your body's parasympathetic nervous system, it counteracts your body's negative response to stress, relaxing muscle tension and allowing your heart rate, blood pressure and circulation to return to normal.

Massage relaxes tense muscles:

Muscles can become tight and ineffective for many reasons.  Massage stretches and loosens tight muscles and connective tissue, breaking down and preventing further formation of adhesions, freeing your range of motion and reducing the dangers of fibrosis (the thickening and scarring of connective tissue).

Massage decreases chronic pain:

Too many of us live our daily lives with chronic pain due to injuries or illness.  Not only does massage help to correct conditions that cause chronic pain, it also acts to decrease the actual pain itself.  The touch of a massage therapist activates the nerve receptor signals and can temporarily block chronic pain signals from reaching the brain.  It can also stimulate the release of endorphins into the brain and nervous system to reduce feelings of pain and discomfort.

Massage helps you to sleep better:

Massage therapy relaxes tense muscles and calms the nervous system, causing your body's rhythm to slow down.  When this happens your blood pressure lowers, your heart rate settles and your breath becomes deeper and more rhythmic, priming you for a perfect nights sleep.