How Massage Can Alleviate Common Allergy Symptoms

As winter finally fades away and spring settles in, we tend to find ourselves brightening up and looking forward to warmer temperatures, lighter clothes, brighter colors, and beautiful flowers. There are many wonderful reasons to love the spring, but one reason some individuals look forward to it with mixed anticipation. While we love the spring, we dread the surge in environmental allergens that make eyes puffy, noses congested and heads ache. With so many wonderful things to look forward to in the springtime, the last thing we want to deal with is constant sneezing, coughing, and headaches, and so we often look for the fastest, easiest relief we can find. Unfortunately, this often means that we turn to over-the-counter antihistamines or steroid medications that we would really prefer to avoid. Fortunately, there is another, natural route you can take to get much-desired relief from irritating allergy symptoms–massage therapy.

Massage and Allergy Symptoms

Allergy symptoms can be caused by a variety of things, but the most common source of seasonal allergies is pollen and other environmental elements. Obviously, an individual who suffers from persistent and intense allergies should seek help from a medical professional in order to determine their exact cause and a workable treatment path. That said, individuals who suffer from milder, seasonal allergies may find that massage can help them to manage their symptoms.

Massage is a natural therapy that can relax the body and allow it to operate better, which is why it can help an individual who is suffering from seasonal allergies. According to the American Massage Therapy Association, the secret behind why massage is able to reduce common allergy symptoms is not really a big secret at all–it’s simply that massage therapy reduces stress, increases circulation, releases muscle tension and even works to reprogram the body’s normal panic reaction when it encounters allergic elements. This can allow the body to better respond to and handle allergens without suffering extensive and uncomfortable symptoms.

When it comes to addressing allergy symptoms, a particularly effective massage technique is a facial massage, which often includes a warm towel around the forehead, the bridge of the nose and the eyes to soften the muscles, and then soft massage strokes on the forehead to help address congestion that often tries to accumulate in that area. The massage can then continue to sinus pressure points around the forehead, the eyeballs, the bridge of the nose, the sides of the nose, and where the jawbone meets with the ear to continue moving congestion. Massaging the neck muscles will further promote drainage and relaxation.

Lasting Relief

Many individuals who receive massage therapy with a focus on alleviating allergy symptoms can experience as much as two to three weeks of relief after one massage session. However, there are things that individuals can do at home to try and help extend their massage benefits and further alleviate allergy symptoms. For example, finding out from their massage therapist where they can apply gentle pressure to help relieve symptoms, and the use of peppermint or eucalyptus essential oils can also be useful–as long as they don’t further aggravate symptoms. Of course, drinking plenty of fresh water every day, and especially after any sort of massage, can help to flush out congestion and toxins from the body.

Massage therapy can be a wonderful alternative to medicine if you are suffering from irritation, pressure or pain as a result of seasonal allergies, and you would really rather prefer to treat it naturally. It is also a relaxing and pampering therapy that allows you to escape to the spa for a little bit, every now and then, which you absolutely deserve.