Massage Therapy for Addiction Treatment

When the time comes to get sober, there is no better option than a reliable treatment center. People appreciate a wide variety of psychological therapies to meet each person’s specific needs for getting clean. Both visitors and their families appreciate the right facility’s professional services, including detox and couples rehab, as well as both inpatient and outpatient care. One-on-one sessions delve deep into the roots of one’s issues, along with group sessions allowing folks to realize that they’re not alone in their struggles. State-of-the-art facilities even offer highly effective options that can help in addiction therapy, such as rehabilitation massage. Resurgence Behavioral Health in California has in-house treatment for men and women to feel completely safe in a serene atmosphere. Best of all, they will work with you on the cost of drug rehab treatment. 

Can Massage Therapy Help With Addiction?

A deep rehabilitation massage can have numerous benefits, including relief of muscle and joint pain, along with severe headaches. By keeping all of your joints aligned, you can sidestep pain and stiffness throughout your body. Massages assist with both the physical and emotional components of addiction treatment. The human touch can be quite healing, minimizing pain, boosting your immune system, and assisting your precious concentration skills. Everything from depression and anxiety to food cravings tends to decrease.

There is no question as to the therapeutic benefits of a rehabilitation massage for anyone struggling with drug or alcohol addiction. Tiffany Field, Ph.D., of the University of Miami’s School of Medicine offers some advice for dealing with muscle aches. “The body releases fewer stress hormones when being massaged,” she wrote. “Stress hormones, including cortisol, weaken the immune system and can lead to increased pain. This becomes a vicious cycle.” In other words, getting a relaxing massage can give you peace of mind. The feeling of walking on clouds is often enough to clear a path to sobriety. A person can immerse him or herself in their missions and get clean with zero distractions, like the stress of the office or peer pressure from so-called friends. 

How Does Massage Therapy Help in Addiction Treatment?

There are multiple perks to receiving massages during addiction treatment. Here are five of the most common benefits:

• Detoxification: Flush your system from all toxic substances and feel better during an uncomfortable process.
• Releasing endorphins: These neurotransmitters assist with stress management and pain relief.
• Pain reduction: Endorphins are released, creating feelings of well-being and euphoria.
• Stress relief: Heart rates are lowered, making it easy to relax.
• Becoming aware of triggers: It is important to recognize symptoms like chest pain, a rapid heartbeat, and anxiety.

Receiving a massage offers a number of benefits for people who are trying to quit using drugs or alcohol. For starters, a nice rubdown is known to help a person going through detoxification. Not only does it feel wonderful, but a massage causes lactic acid to flush out of your muscles, immensely improving blood flow in your arms and legs. This improved circulation helps the body get rid of toxins while feeding oxygen to different organs throughout your system. Massage therapy, especially when mixed with an exercise routine, causes the body to release the “feel-good” chemicals known as endorphins. 

Enjoying a massage also decreases chronic pain, as it works wonders for one’s quality of sleep. With eight hours of uninterrupted shut-eye, everything from your energy level and overall mood to your cherished memory skills tend to improve. Feeling completely relaxed can be marvelous for stress levels, too. Staying sober not only helps a person relax, it boosts his or her immune system by increasing glucose in the blood. This assists the body in repairing tissue and managing weight, concentration, and digestion issues. Finally, it can be essential for people to become aware of each of their triggers. It helps to know how to constructively manage feelings of hostility, frustration, boredom, and anxiety. If you cannot handle these negative emotions, your cravings may get the best of you, leading to a relapse.

Is Massage Good for Withdrawal?

It’s no secret that withdrawing from drugs can be tough on the mind and body when dealing with muscle aches and withdrawal symptoms. People can feel physically or mentally unwell and experience symptoms like nausea, sweating, and anxiety, in addition to cravings. A high-quality rehabilitation massage can actually decrease many of the unwanted symptoms of withdrawal, improving sleep, energy levels, and digestion. Muscle aches are assisted with increased blood circulation throughout your system. Meanwhile, muscle spasms are minimized, and anti-inflammatory signals are sent to your cells. Simply by eliminating several common stressors with massages, you can gain control over your body, making it easier to recover from drug or alcohol withdrawal, complete medical detox, and begin addiction treatment.

Of course, massage isn’t the only technique for dealing with a drug issue. Similar tricks to assist you during the treatment of addiction include:

Get a healthy amount of sleep: Your body should be working at its best, both physically and mentally, in order to manage withdrawal symptoms. 

Meditation: Massage therapy allows people to feel at peace.

Eating healthy: People in recovery often overeat or might not stick to a healthy eating routine, and eating better can make them feel better.

Setting realistic goals: Setting specific and realistic goals can give a person a sense of accomplishment, rather than feelings of failure.

Writing a personal journey: Creating a daily journal entry can be a wonderful tool for reflection and growth.

Speaking to a trusted therapist: Talking to a counselor in a safe space can give you guidance in your recovery efforts.

What Are the Benefits of Massage Therapy During Recovery?

These days, people can depend on massages to assist with both the mind and body. It can be used as a tool to help manage mental health concerns like stress or anxiety. Even addiction anger management issues can be partially addressed with a good rubdown. A massage also increases the level of serotonin, also known as the “happy hormone,” in the brain. Immediately, this helps people relax, quickly improving their well-being. Once a person feels better, both physically and emotionally, it becomes easier to focus on addiction treatment and achieving long-term recovery.

According to the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, “Mind-body therapies, in general, address the relationship between somato-emotional awareness, coping, and emotional regulation and teach integrative strategies that may help individuals react more effectively to stress and negative emotions.” This helps people pinpoint and deal with different challenges before they become serious problems. To sum it up, a nice massage is a terrific method for relaxing the mind and body. Being in a stress-free atmosphere can make you feel spectacular. Little stressors tend to roll off of your shoulders. 

Rehabilitation Massage Is Available at Resurgence Behavioral Health

In 2020, Harvard University declared, “Mind-body treatments can be integrated with traditional medical treatments, or used as standalone treatments for certain conditions.” Fortunately, you and your loved ones can rely on Resurgence Behavioral Health’s addiction treatment programs designed to meet your individual needs for therapy, medication-assisted treatment, and alternative treatment options like rehabilitation massage. Even possible triggers are pointed out and become easily avoidable. Outpatient programs include one-on-one support, whether online or in-person, for anyone attempting to steer clear of drugs. Even after treatment is done, Resurgence Behavioral Health’s aftercare programs promote long-lasting recovery. Rebuilding your life, free from drugs or alcohol, is possible. All you need is the right guidance, and you’ll be on the path to recovery. Call Resurgence Behavioral Health today at 855-458-0050 to learn how we can help and verify your insurance for addiction treatment. 

External Sources

• Harvard Health Publishing — Mind-body Medicine in Addiction Recovery
• National Library of Medicine — Mindful Awareness in Body-oriented Therapy as an Adjunct to Women’s Substance Use Disorder Treatment
• American Massage Therapy Association — Massage and Addiction

Josh Chandler
After growing up in Chicago and North Carolina, Josh chose to get help with substance use disorder and mental health in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than five years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for four years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. Josh remains passionate about the field because he understands that one phone call can alter the course of a person's life.

Research | Editorial