Want to improve your mood and sleep better? Getting regular massages is the solution to these problems and more, according to one expert. "Weekly massages seem to have a cumulative positive effect that is sustained over time," Mark Rapaport, M.D., a professor and chair of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Emory University in Atlanta, told a news portal. Adding, "Data suggests that you can reap benefits from even a single massage." One study claims a 15-minute treatment is enough to improve your well-being. Experts explain why you should treat yourself to a massage at least once a month.

A massage can be an effective way to treat aches and pains after a long day or an intense run."Massage may decrease acute inflammation due to overuse of muscles, so it may be very helpful in decreasing stiffness, pain, and inflammation, "Mark Rapaport, M.D., a professor and chair of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Emory University in Atlanta, told a news portal.

Your immune system can get a boost from a massage, which could help keep infections at bay. It could reduce your chances of falling sick. "One of the benefits of massage is that it leads to an increase in the circulation of white blood cells," Mark Rapaport, M.D., a professor and chair of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Emory University in Atlanta, told a news portal. These cells can help tackle viruses and infections.

Multiple studies have found a good massage can improve brain health. "One study showed that following a 15-minute chair massage, brain waves changed in the direction of heightened alertness," Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, told a news portal. Adding, "In fact, study participants were able to perform math computations twice as fast and with twice the accuracy."

"Massage reduces physical suffering by decreasing cortisol and increasing serotonin, which is the body's natural painkiller," Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, told a news portal. Ensure when you are treating a chronic injury that you receive the right kind of massage that will heal it and not do further damage.