Counteract the Effects Of Prolonged Sitting: Massage Therapy Can Help
Congratulations on your new job. Unfortunately, the job posting and the interviewer failed to mention that the obscene workload and unrealistic deadlines will lead to you sitting at your desk for upwards of 10 hours a day. There is no doubt among researchers that prolonged periods of sitting cause harm to your health.
1. The Problem: Postural Imbalances – The human body is not designed to be in a seated position for long periods of time. Long hours at a desk can cause stooping of the back and tightness in your shoulder area from holding your arms in an abnormal position for typing on a keyboard.
The Massage Fix: Massage therapy targeted to areas of muscle tension that result from postural imbalances can relieve this tension and prevent further imbalances and damage.
2. The Problem: Back Pain – Upper back pain results from excessive use of a keyboard and sitting in ergonomically unfriendly positions.
This pain can lead to numbness if your poor posture leads to nerve damage. The force exerted on your lower back as a result of gravity pulling the weight of your torso down into your pelvis can cause lower back pain and numbness as well as sciatic nerve damage.
The Massage Fix: The massage increases blood flow to the area and reduces the pain and tension.
3. The Problem: High Blood Pressure – Being sedentary results in a lack of blood flow.
Movement and exercise promote increased blood flow and prolonged sitting does the exact opposite, leading to high blood pressure.
The Massage Fix: Professional massage can reduce diastolic blood pressure. Massage also treats the underlying causes of high blood pressure by loosening tense muscles, improving blood flow, and decreasing stress and anxiety.
4. The Problem: Positive Mental State – Studies have shown that sitting for long periods of time each day increases your chances for developing depression and anxiety.
Depression and anxiety caused by extended sitting will spill over into your personal life and cause more damage there.
The Massage Fix: Massage therapy by trained professionals is regarded as effective for the reduction of depression and anxiety. For those suffering from stress, depression, and anxiety disorders, the calming effect of massage therapy as well as the resulting increased blood flow could greatly improve their mental state and subsequently their quality of life.
Massage is so much more than paying for someone to rub your back. Trained massage therapists can improve your quality of life by improving or eliminating the underlying causes for your symptoms. It is an undisputed fact that prolonged periods in a sedentary state (i.e. sitting at a desk for hours a day) cause numerous physical and mental ailments. Massage is a safe way to relieve many of these ailments simultaneously.
