Many people think of massages as just a way to relax and de-stress but that’s only part of the benefit—massage help healing on a cellular level. Massage is one of the oldest forms of holistic care, dating back to 3000BC. It’s only in recent years that we’ve started to really understand the science behind a massage.
If you’ve ever had an accident or spent too long hunched over your laptop screen, you’ve likely been recommended a massage by a friend or medical professional. Muscular tension and dysfunction are two issues that a massage can target and address. Why are massages the go-to choice for muscle issues? It’s because a massage allows you to target the problem at its source. The pressure that’s applied loosens the muscles, preventing them from bunching up and causing tension and pulling other muscles, tissue and bones out of alignment.
When you know what’s happening in your body during a massage, it might make you decide to incorporate massages into your general wellness routine. It can help treat migraines or chronic injuries like arthritis.
The Science Behind Massage Therapy
Your body starts responding to massages on a cellular level – even after your first one. Massages cause an increase in mitochondria development in your blood and muscle tissue, which encourages cellular growth and boosts your energy levels. As your massage therapist lifts and kneads your muscles, your body disengages the cells and genes that cause muscle inflammation.
The pressure applied during a massage increases blood and lymph circulation, which relaxes the soft tissues in your body. This can improve circulation in the connective tissue, ligaments, and tendons in your body. It also prevents our bodies from releasing inflammatory cytokines. These are proteins that kick-start your immune system but can also cause swelling around the muscle tissue. Finally, massage helps with pain receptors in your muscles and spinal cords, helping you manage and reduce pain and tension caused by a previous injury.
In addition to healing the muscle, massage helps the body to release endorphins and enkephalins which can instantly lift your mood. These two hormones cause your body to become less stressed while helping with pain management and relieving anxiety. The science behind this concept has been tested on cancer patients, with the research proving that it can reduce anxiety, pain, and nausea.
A clinical trial by the ‘European Journal of Cancer Care’ found that the lymphatic drainage caused by a massage increases circulation and decreases swelling around lymph nodes by redirecting waste to reduce pain for breast cancer patients.
While a massage will boost these hormones, it lowers your body’s production of cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. These three hormones are responsible for increasing your stress levels. By reducing the presence of these hormones, it helps to lower your blood pressure and heart rate.
The reduction in cortisol levels helps tackle migraines and lowers your levels of substance P, a neurotransmitter that is linked to pain perception. The pressure receptors in your body work faster than your pain receptors, sending information quicker to your brain. When these two are happening concurrently, the pressure receptors win out against the pain, making you feel more comfortable.
Your cortisol levels are also reduced during a massage because of an increase in vagus nerve activity. This system links your organs to your brain and spine. The activity elevates your parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers your stress levels and reduces anxiety.
A clinical study by the ‘Pain Medicine’ journal found that 12 weeks of massage therapy resulted in a significant drop in the pain levels of patients with chronic back pain due to pressure receptors.
Massage as Preventative Therapy
Massages are one of the easiest ways to incorporate preventative therapy into your routine, especially if you’re a sporty person. Even if you’re less active, relaxing your muscles through a massage will improve your posture as it realigns your joints. With a better posture, you’re less likely to experience aches and pains in your muscles.
Professional athletes rely on massage therapy as a way of improving their recovery after exercise, injury, or post-match. Another area where massage is used as a preventative therapy is with expectant mothers. Continued massage therapy can improve the resistance of soft tissue while increasing flexibility in the muscles to reduce the pain and trauma caused during labor. The effects of perineal massage reduce the possibility of perineal trauma.
Why Do I Feel Better Post-Massage?
When you finish your massage appointment, you’ll instantly feel more relaxed. It’s not just because you’ve gotten away from a screen for a few hours. This feeling of relaxation comes from the increased blood flow around the target area, along with improving the circulation of your lymph system.
When your muscles are relaxed, it works to reduce the compression of your nervous system. Your post-massage tranquillity comes from the lower blood pressure and heart rate that go hand-in-hand with improved blood circulation.
The Future of Science and Massage Therapy
Research is still ongoing about the full extent of the science behind massage therapy. Although this holistic treatment has been around for thousands of years, we’re only now looking at the processes that happen in the body during a massage. The more we come to understand the science behind massage therapy, the more it’s clear that it can be used to treat everything from cancer symptoms to sporting injuries, while also being a preventative therapy.
Contact A Mindful Root today to schedule your massage.
