While you are probably well aware of the benefits of getting a massage, you may be wondering how a massage works. Today we’re going to discover how a massage works to help relieve tension in your muscles and provide relief from pain and stress.
What Happens to Your Body During a Massage?
During a massage, your body undergoes various physiological changes. The involuntary relaxation response happens within your nervous system and is a reaction to the touch and massage techniques your therapist uses. Mechanical responses are the physical effects that happen during a massage when the therapist applies pressure to your soft tissues.
Relaxation Responses
During your massage, your heart rate and breathing both slow down, and your blood pressure will also reduce. At the same time, the relaxation response decreases the production of stress hormones, and then your muscles begin to relax. Your serotonin levels, which improve your thoughts and emotions in a positive manner, usually increase during your massage. The relaxation responses that your body experiences are the main reason why massage can help to reduce stress and hypertension. Other disorders that massage is known to treat include fatigue, anxiety, and digestive disorders.
Mechanical Responses
As well as the relaxation response, your body also experiences mechanical responses. This works in two ways. Firstly, by increasing the blood and lymph circulation in your body, and then by relaxing your soft tissue. By normalizing your soft tissue, which includes connective tissue, muscle, ligaments, and tendons, this helps to release deeper connective tissues and nerves.
Massage works to improve your blood and lymph circulation, both thanks to the relaxation response and the movement of the soft tissue during your massage. You’ll find that circulation is improved, which helps to deliver more oxygen and nutrients to the cells in your muscles. Therefore, your tissue begins to function more efficiently, which allows the body to remove waste more effectively and reduce swelling.
During your massage, the treatment will work to relax your muscle tissue. This can reduce any painful spasms you may be experiencing and help to relieve any nerve compression. After a massage, your nerves will be able to work more efficiently and receive the proper nutrients. They’ll then be able to effectively transmit messages to your brain, which helps all of your organs and muscles function better. While some of the deeper muscles in your body can’t be released by a massage, the layers of muscles around them can be released, which will then help the deeper layers. You’ll find this increases the balance in your body, so you enjoy improved alignment following your session.
Benefits to Other Parts of Your Body
While you may associate massage with just relaxing your muscles, you’ll also find it can benefit all of your organs. The neurological pain pathways are all linked within your body, and when your muscles and nerves are in pain, you’ll find your organs can sometimes react. When one area of tension is released, the pain elsewhere in your body may also be reduced.
Contact Us Today
When booking yourself in for a massage, you won’t have to do a thing, but your body will naturally react in this way during your treatment. At A Mindful Root, you’ll experience all of these benefits during any treatment you have with us, and you’ll soon find tension and stress are reduced throughout your body.
