Some are relaxing, some are not. Deep tissue massage isn't relaxing, though it might be therapeutic. But as Mom says, it's just a temporary relief because it doesn't alter the thinking that causes stress and anxiety. If you just have episodic periods of stress, though, not a major problem, then yes, but there are a lot of types of massage and again, some are more relaxing than others. Some are quite painful while you're doing them, but they hopefully help with pain control so you try them. Don't think research is kind to it truly fixing anything. So if you want to do it to relieve stress, look for gentle types of massage that do that. Peace.
Well, I think massage is always relaxing and we hold a lot of stress in our trigger points. I have a spot in my neck and back that if I am stressed, it just seems to tighten. That triggers everything else to tighten and then I almost always get a headache. Massage does work for that 'spot'. Feels terrific. Does it treat the underlying issue that caused me stress and anxiety? No. That's the root cause and that also needs to be dealt with.