Seven Little-Known Benefits of Relaxing Hand Massage
Hand Massage can be very relaxing and therapeutic. There are many little known benefits of relaxing Hand Massage. It is not only for luxury pamper sessions when we are on holiday…..
Hand Massage can be very useful due to hands being so accessible. Even though hands are used all the time, they can be often neglected by ourselves. Our hands are inherently sensitive and have many nerve endings. There is an estimation that there are a total of around 17,000 touch receptors and free nerve endings in the palm!
A lot of us may not have time, cash, or opportunity to get a full body massage. Gentle pressure on the hands can be useful to help de-stress & calm us. Full body massage cannot be performed on people with certain conditions. For instance, if a person has a heart problem, it is not advisable to have a full, vigorous body massage. Gentle Hand Massage in this case is considered beneficial.
No special equipment is necessary for hand massage, which can be also performed as part of a pleasant self-care routine. Please see seven little known benefits and great advantages of doing Hand Massage below…
- Soothe and soften tired, and overused muscles
Gentle, skilful, and effective Hand Massage has been known to rest and relieve muscles that are constantly used. Hand Massage in the opposite direction should also help to prevent repetitive strain injuries for anyone who has worked on the computer for a long time. Hard working Kelly from Ruislip was grateful that she had a chance to sit down and rest during a pleasant Hand Massage session with myself. She mentioned that “The Hand Massage from Yewande was lovely, really nice”. Kelly felt more relaxed, and the session had enhanced her wellness. Anne from Bournemouth said in her own words that the Hand Massage I did on her “Made her hands more supple, really good, she really enjoyed it.”
- Moisturise and improve the condition of the skin
During Hand Massage, when a nourishing, effective moisturiser is applied, the texture of dry skin on the hands can be noticeably better. A great moisturiser may also hydrate and protect the skin from transepidermal water loss without clogging the pores.
- Release endorphins
Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers – If we hit an object by accident, we instinctively put our hand over the area to stroke it. This action automatically releases the body’s natural painkillers to the affected area.
A gentleman fell and hurt his hand during a football match. After medical treatment at a local hospital, his hand was healing well. He was advised by nurses to seek out therapeutic Hand Massage. I was privileged to massage his hands and he said, “they felt better” and not as painful.
- Promote deeper relaxation thus improve sleep
During restful Hand Massage, relaxing pressure points are activated. One study in 2011 resulted in the Hand Massage group having better sleep than the control group in a four-week period. When we are relaxed, we are more likely to foster an atmosphere of creativity, joy, enjoyment, fun, and lightness.
- Improve circulation by pumping oxygen into the hands.
Gently pulling the fingers, rotating the wrists, stroking the skin boosts circulation, especially for sedentary people. Hand Massage is also useful to warm cold hands and improve circulation, especially in the winter.
- Relief from stress
It has been suggested by Dr Robert Tisserand that up to 90% of disease may be stress related. Relaxing Hand Massage has been known to counteract stress related responses of flight, fight, or freeze. Relaxation is also good for heart health. Constant stress is detrimental to the heart. Sudden stressful shocks can lead to bursts of adrenaline that may keep the heart from functioning well.
- Reduce pain associated with arthritis
Regular Hand Massage has been reported to lower pain associated with arthritis symptoms by up to 57%. Hand Massage may be able to offer relief from the discomfort and lack of mobility associated with arthritis. I received some funding go to a seniors’ day care centre to do Hand Massage on elderly folk. One of the octogenarians there mentioned that a relative who had not seen her for about 6 months noticed significant improvement in the appearance of her hands. This was after weekly Hand Massage on her for only six weeks – which was a really wonderful outcome.