Therapeutic massage can help anyone who wants to relax, detoxify their body, relieve pain and increase flexibility. It also helps to decrease the buildup of stress hormones and reduces blood pressure.
Massage Yakima increases the temperature of your soft tissues, and this stimulation triggers a relaxation response. This results in inhibitory messages sent from the nervous system to the muscles and joints to relax.
Stress is unavoidable, and if it isn’t managed effectively it can lead to serious health problems including high blood pressure, digestive issues, sleeping problems and depression. Stress relievers include a variety of activities from exercise, yoga and meditation to acupuncture, deep breathing and massage. A massage stimulates the muscles and soft tissues of the body to release tension and knots which help relax both the mind and the body.
When a muscle is tight it reduces circulation which can cause pain and also drains energy. The kneading and rubbing motions of a massage activate the muscle’s innate ability to release these tense muscles, which will give you more energy. A therapeutic massage also encourages the lymphatic system to clear away metabolic wastes that build up in muscle tissue. These wastes prevent the body from absorbing nutrients and causing fatigue and soreness.
During a massage, friction is created against the skin which causes an increase in temperature. This stimulates the autonomic nervous system to release positive hormones, such as endorphins, serotonin and dopamine which can help reduce stress. When the levels of these hormones are higher, they reduce anxiety, boost self-esteem and promote a sense of calmness.
The effect of a good massage also helps to lower cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, which increases glucose in the bloodstream and curbs functions that aren’t necessary in a fight-or-flight situation. It also increases the production of serotonin, which is known as a “happy hormone”. This neurotransmitter regulates mood and reduces feelings of depression and anxiety while increasing the body’s general resilience to stress. A massage also encourages the vagus nerve to be activated which can help to decrease your heart rate and blood pressure, helping you feel more relaxed and in control of your emotions. This can also lead to a better quality of sleep as toxins are flushed from the body and your mind. Having a regular massage is a great way to manage your stress, and it will benefit you long into the future.
Relieves Pain
Pain is a normal part of the body’s response to damage or injury. This pain is created by the transmission of signals from potentially damaged tissues to the central nervous system which then carries these messages on to the brain. The pain pathways become hypersensitive to these signals and can cause the feeling of greater pain than is actually present. Massage interrupts this cycle by sending other messages which cancel out the painful ones and reduces the perceived intensity of the pain.
Pain relief from massage is not the only benefit – it also improves general circulation and decreases edema (swelling). This helps to bring fresh oxygen and nutrients to the injured tissues which speed up the healing process. In addition, the specialized nerve fibers that report pain from injured tissue are blocked by massage and stimulate other receptors which help to diminish the perception of pain.
Massage increases the production of mitochondria, which are the organelles that power cellular metabolism and generate energy for cells to heal. Massage also releases chemicals that dilate blood vessels and encourage blood flow. This is especially important in injured muscles which need more blood to transport essential nutrients and flush out metabolic waste.
The muscle soreness you feel after a hard workout is largely due to inflammation within the muscle. Massage increases circulation and the specialised nerve fibers that report pain from injured tissue, as well as stimulating other larger outer nerves that can compete with these slow thin nerves to block the pain message. This is called the gate control theory of pain and has been scientifically proven.
In addition, massage stimulates the proprioceptors which are responsible for reporting the position of joints to the brain so that we can maintain balance and movement. These nerves respond to pressure and massage can be used to stimulate them with varying degrees of pressure. This is an important aspect of massage as it is often overlooked in the hospital setting, where health care workers rarely touch patients other than to perform procedures. It is a natural human sense to be touched and can have a very positive impact on the patient’s well-being, both emotionally and physically.
Relieves Anxiety
People who regularly get massages will attest to how relaxed and happy they feel after. There’s more than just anecdotal evidence: studies have proven the biochemical changes that occur during a good rubdown. During a massage, the body releases feel-good hormones called endorphins, which lower the stress hormone cortisol and create an overall sense of well-being.
A good massage will also boost the brain’s production of dopamine and serotonin, which help reduce anxiety levels and feelings of dread. Combined with the relaxation and pain relief that comes with it, this can be one of the best ways to manage anxiety.
Anxiety is a natural response to a stressful situation, but when it’s constantly activated it can lead to long-term health problems, including high blood pressure, digestive issues, and weight gain. Anxiety is often characterized by muscle tension that causes tense jaws, necks, shoulders, and backs. Luckily, there are many treatment options for anxiety, including psychotherapy and medication. But more and more research shows that adding massage to the mix can be a powerful tool in managing anxiety.
There are several types of massage, each with a slightly different focus. Some, such as Chinese massage, use the ‘push-pull’ techniques of Western remedial massage, but combine this with an emphasis on treating acupressure points, which can trigger biochemical and physiological changes. Other massages that have been shown to be effective at reducing anxiety include aromatherapy-based massage and reiki, which focuses on releasing energy blocks in the body.
Massage is also known to alleviate the symptoms of PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, by boosting the production of oxytocin and dopamine in the brain. This can help reduce anxiety, anger, and depression, as well as improve sleep quality.
Another option for reducing PTSD and anxiety is yoga, which is becoming increasingly popular as a form of therapy because of its meditative nature. Research has shown that participants who took two yoga classes per week for three months reported a 30 percent reduction in their self-reported anxiety levels. While the effects of both massage and yoga need to be replicated by other studies, they’re showing promise as an alternative to traditional psychiatric treatments for anxiety.
Improves Circulation
Research has shown that massage increases the circulation of blood. This is a good thing because more blood flowing to muscles makes it easier for them to get the nutrients and oxygen they need. It also helps the muscles get rid of waste products like carbon dioxide and excess water.
The increase in blood flow can be caused by a number of different things. One is that the blood vessels widen, a process called vasodilation. This happens when the body is warmed up, and it’s a common part of a typical massage. Another cause is that massage encourages the movement of blood through a muscle, which can improve its flexibility. This can be a helpful way to prevent muscle injury and tightness, and it can help prevent the build-up of lactic acid in the muscles.
Another reason that massage might increase circulation is because it can stimulate the lymphatic system to drain excess fluids and toxins. A specific massage technique called lymphatic drainage uses gentle stretching motions to move fluids towards the lymph nodes. This can help reduce swelling and improve the function of the immune system.
There’s a lot of stuff that goes into regulating your circulatory system, and it would be hard to try to predict all the ways that massage might affect it. That’s why a single study isn’t usually enough to prove anything.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that most studies show that massage does indeed increase circulation, and that it has a variety of different effects on the body. The fact that it increases circulation is a very important and exciting finding, and it’s worth exploring further.
So if you’ve been feeling stressed and tight, book yourself in for a massage and see how it makes you feel. The steady flow of blood to your muscles, tissues, organs, and brain can make all the difference in how you feel! It’s an excellent excuse to pamper yourself, and you deserve it! Plus, it’s scientifically proven that it’ll make you feel better! And who doesn’t love that?