Don’t you just love it when something you are semi-addicted to is actually good for you? In our case, it’s rare (no matter how hard we try to convince ourselves that deep fried sweetcorn fritters are nutritionally beneficial). However, thankfully one of our favourite pastimes, Balinese massage really is a healing modality. For this post, we searched for rigorous trials proving the benefits of massage. Though there are some, they are thin on the ground, and we actually came to the realization that with this treatment we don’t need the studies to prove the benefits of Balinese massage – the deep rest and relaxation a good massage provides is an indicator they are beneficial.

In this fast-paced society we live in, massage is the perfect antidote to our high pressured, gadget-filled lives. This stressful lifestyle is undoubtedly linked to increased cortisol levels and the increase in anxiety and depression disorders that are rife in modern day society.^1,2

Here in Bali, we are lucky to have an amazing selection of Balinese massage practitioners around. Using a combination of massage techniques – kneading, rolling, stroking and pressure points, this type of massage is perfect to help relax and release knotted muscles.³

If we view massage as a standalone cure for chronic disease it’s likely we will be disappointed – massage is much better employed as a complementary treatment. Using it regularly as an adjunct to a doctors treatment protocol or to prevent illness is the key to success. In a study looking attherapeutic massage used weekly for people with generalised anxiety disorders the patients having regular massage responded better to allopathic treatment.⁴

The benefits of Balinese massage, and massages in general are of course not limited to anxiety and stress management, there are many other proposed benefits that have yet to be proven, however, correlations are constantly being noted by professionals in the industry. Massage is considered complimentary in treating many conditions including; digestive disorders, fibromyalgia, headaches, insomnia, myofascial pain, soft tissue injuries, sports injuries and joint pain.⁵

The subjective nature of massage and the variation of qualification, accreditation and skill of the therapist present other challenges to studies examining the efficacy of massage as a healing modality.

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4610617/
2. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/depression-uk-stats-figures-anxiety-record-high-a7991056.html
3. https://goodspaguide.co.uk/features/balinese-massage-explained
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2922919/
5.https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/massage/art-20045743