By ESENVOSA IZAH

A Massage Therapist, Adenike Adebagbo, has urged Nigerians to include regular massage into their routine healthcare screening to maintain optimal health and wellness.

Adebagbo, Chief Executive Officer of Beth Beauty Medical Spa, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

She emphasised that the therapeutic benefit of massage helps manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance in today?s fast-paced world, especially in Nigeria, where stress and anxiety are common.

Adebagbo also said that other conditions apart from physical and mental stress common to Nigerians include poor posture, which could lead to health complications like hypertension, diabetes, and muscle problems.

According to her, massage therapy can act as a preventive measure for health complications by helping to reduce muscle tension, improve posture, and lower blood pressure.

?We strongly believe massages are essential for overall health and well-being. By incorporating regular massages into your healthcare routine, you can experience significant improvements in both your physical and mental health,? Adebagbo said.

The expert said that several researches done supported the health benefits of regular massage, with studies showing it significantly reduces stress.

She quoted a 2020 study by the University of Konstanz, Germany, saying, ?Ten minutes of massage or rest will help your body fight stress.

?The research, ?Standardised massage interventions as protocols for the induction of psychophysiological relaxation in the laboratory: a block randomised, controlled trial?, was published in ?Nature?, the leading international weekly journal of science.

?Also, the American Massage Therapy Association says that stress can negatively impact an individual?s health and well-being.

?Massage therapy has been shown to be a means by which stress can be reduced significantly on physical and psychological levels,? she said. (NAN)