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Today I’ve written about what a massage can do for you, all those benefits that even I sometimes need reminding of!
When it comes to the benefits of relaxation massage, I am more than a little biased. It’s not just because I’m a Massage Therapist either, I promise. It’s because I looooove getting massages too.
They just make me feel good mentally, emotionally and physically. I feel more relaxed and happy, I sleep better, I have a more positive outlook on life, I breathe more deeply and my aches and pains seem less significant, or even better, they disappear! My skin feels moisturised and soft, I’m more aware of my posture. Sometimes…I even start to feel better
before my massage, just because I’ve booked the appointment and I know I’m going to have some time just for me, to look after myself.
At other times I need a massage because I’m injured, or have a niggle that’s going to end in an injury if I don’t address it. At those times I need a Remedial Massage. They are magical in their own way (and btw, at the end of the year I’ll be a qualified Remedial Therapist too) but today I’m just talking about Relaxation Massage.
If you need convincing of the benefits, or you’re curious to know why you feel the way you do after a massage then read on!
Physiologic effects (or if your eyes just glazed over like you were back in Year 10 Science, “what massage does to your body”)
Massage has a direct effect on muscles. The pressure I apply during a massage stretches the muscle and helps to improve muscle tone. This is called a mechanical effect.
Massage also has a reflexive effect, where the nervous system and endocrine system (which governs body chemicals such as hormones) have an involuntary response to the mechanical effects. These two systems function together, constantly trying to achieve ‘homeostasis’, which is the balanced state where we humans function the best.
Endocrine System
Have you heard of dopamine? Or serotonin? What about oxytocin? All of these are important chemicals in the body. Together they regulate mood, and feelings of bonding (among heaps of other things) Massage
increases the levels of these, hence my enjoyment of massage and my post massage good mood.
Another reason to feel good about massage is that it
reduces levels of cortisol, which is a stress hormone produced during periods of prolonged stress, and it
balances adrenaline and noradrenaline levels. You’ve heard of the flight or fight response? Well adrenaline is released at the outset of that stress response and cortisol is what your body produces when you’re beyond that initial response. Cortisol is associated with suppressed immunity, sleep disturbances, inflammation and other stress related symptoms.
So all the happy feel good hormone levels increase, and the “I’m feeling stressed and on edge” hormones reduce or rebalance. That’s a win/win situation if ever I saw one.
Nervous System
Massage is also great for reducing muscle pain. Sometimes this is because of mechanical effects, but massage also changes the way the brain perceives pain.
Have you ever knocked your elbow on a table, or your shin on a bed frame? The first thing I do after something like that (apart from swearing – oops!) is to rub the area I just knocked. By stimulating the area vigorously, the nervous system has more information to process and the pain signals don’t all get through, thereby reducing my perception of the pain.
(If you’re interested in more detail on this, google ‘gate control theory’ or ‘hyperstimulation analgesia’)
Parasympathetic Nervous System
Have you ever had a ten minute seated massage? Did you feel quite awake afterwards, relaxed but refreshed? How about a 45 minute massage on a table? Did you feel a bit sleepy afterwards? This is because it takes about 15 minutes of massage for the parasympathetic nervous system to kick it up a notch..
The parasympathetic nervous system slows your heartbeat, dilates blood vessels of skeletal muscle, increases digestion, stimulates the bladder. This explains why so many of my client’s get tummy rumbles, or need to go straight to the loo after a massage.
Increased Circulation
Certain types of massage stroke directly increase circulation by mechanical force, and when the parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated the blood vessels of skeletal muscle dilate (open up). If muscles are tight though, this reduces the flow of blood and lymph through the area and reduces the body’s ability to remove metabolic waste. This stuff builds up and can cause some very sore spots. Massage helps release this waste and get the blood flowing through again.
Healthy Skin
At virtually any time of year, my skin is dry (except for that ridiculous T zone, OMG!). And sensitive (splotchy and red, boo!). Unsurprisingly, this means I am pretty fussy about what I put on my skin, and I’m careful about what I use on my client’s skin too. Your skin is the largest organ of the body so it pays to treat it well.
I use jojoba oil for most of my massages, or a blend of soy and wheatgerm oil that a friend of mine makes (The amazing Louise at
Etherique– all sorts of lovely scented products).
Jojoba is technically a wax rather than an oil, and whilst it’s more expensive than other carrier oils, it is very similar to sebum (the oil naturally produced in your skin). It’s light and doesn’t have much of a scent on it’s own, and because it’s nut free it’s suitable for people with nut allergies. Plus, it’s actually nourishing for skin too.
After a massage, I love the moisturised feeling my skin has, and even after a shower my skin feels softer and soothed, which then makes me happy.
(I often use essential oils in my massage blends so if they float your boat you can look forward to some more detailed blogs on this topic in the coming months)
Could some of these benefits be for you?
I haven’t even gone into posture and increased body awareness here (Did you just sit up straighter? Shoulders back?) but if any of these things I’ve written about have struck a cord, head over to the website and book in for a massage!
If you’re still not sure, or you have questions about the services I offer, pop over to my website FAQ page and contact details.
Take care!
x Zoe