Menopause and Massage Therapy

Written By Pamela Moyer

Menopause can feel relentless, bringing an overwhelming list of symptoms that impact every part of your daily life—from hot flashes, night sweats, and interrupted sleep to mood swings, weight changes, and fluctuating skin and joint health.

There are loads of suggestions to help mitigate the symptoms, but so many of them offer inconsistent results. Herbal supplements and teas, all with a huge spectrum of quality and efficacy; physical activities which always improve health, but some workout programs can easily lead to injury; dietary changes with debatable results; and lifestyle changes that medical professionals can’t agree on, such as less caffeine/more caffeine, less soy/more soy, less carbs/more fiber, and more.

Some of those are recommendations from the internet, and some are from my own personal experiences. I hear this a lot from clients: “It’s hard to find what works for me.”

According to clinical studies, receiving regular massages (even short, 45 minute sessions) a few times per month can help with these benefits:

  • Boosts Your Mood and Eases Stress: Regular massages lower your cortisol (the stress hormone) while boosting happy chemical signals like serotonin and dopamine. This helps smooth out the emotional roller coaster that often come with fluctuations in hormones.

  • Cools Down Hot Flashes: Getting a gentle Swedish massage or back massage on a regular basis can actually reduce how often and how intensely hot flashes and night sweats hit you.

  • Relieves Aches and Joint Stiffness: As estrogen drops, joints and muscles can get stiff and sore. Targeted bodywork gets blood flowing to those areas, releasing tight muscles and taking the edge off of chronic aches.

  • Helps You Get a Good Night’s Sleep: Massage therapy helps you drift off to sleep faster, stay in REM longer, and wake up less often throughout the night.

While there are many tools you can try for menopause management, massage therapy has scientifically proven benefits, and it feels amazing! Book your massage at Haven Spa today!

Sources:

*Espírito Santo, J., Moita, J., & Nunes, A. (2024). The Efficacy of Manual Therapy on Musculoskeletal Pain in Menopause: A Systematic Review. Healthcare, 12(18), 1838. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12181838

*Oliveira, D., Hachul, H., Tufik, S., & Bittencourt, L. (2011). Effect of massage in postmenopausal women with insomnia – A pilot study. Clinics, 66(2), 343–346. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1807-59322011000200026 Cited by: 60

Pamela Moyer
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