Healing Touch: The Power of Massage
Massage In Independence MO is the art of pressing, rubbing and manipulating your skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments. There are dozens of variations on the theme, but all have the same basic goal: to promote relaxation and health.
For one thing, it decreases cortisol and increases serotonin, the hormones that stabilize your mood. It also helps reduce anxiety.
When a person feels stressed, it affects their physical and mental well-being. It can cause them to have trouble sleeping, increase their blood pressure and trigger other medical conditions. Adding therapeutic massage to your health regimen can help alleviate stress and reduce the risk of many serious ailments.
Scientific research suggests that a massage decreases the level of cortisol in the body, which is a hormone that causes stress. It also increases levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, which boost your mood and help you feel good about yourself. Studies also suggest that massage can decrease the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which activates the “fight-or-flight” response during times of stress.
This allows the parasympathetic nervous system to take over and calm the body and mind. In addition, massage can reduce the tension in the muscles and help them relax. This can also increase a person’s ability to relax and sleep better, which further relieves stress.
The calming effects of a massage can also improve the immune system by decreasing the production of cortisol. This can prevent diseases caused by chronic stress, such as cardiovascular disease and digestive disorders.
A massage can also improve the circulation of the lymphatic fluid in your body. This can help remove metabolic wastes and other toxins more efficiently. This can eliminate muscle and tissue pain, reduce swelling and bloating, and speed up recovery from injuries. It can also reduce the stress caused by chronic pain, as it will help to decrease the amount of cortisol released in response to it.
The benefits of massage are even more pronounced when it is done regularly. Many people who get regular massages report that they have less stress and anxiety than those who do not. Massage also helps to foster communication between a client and the therapist, which can help to ease some psychological issues, such as fear of intimacy or depression. These feelings are often related to the fear of losing control or feeling overwhelmed by life’s challenges. Massage can also help to build trust and a sense of security, which can make people feel cared for and supported.
Relieves Pain
Massage relieves pain by reducing tension in the muscles and tendons and relieving pressure on nerves. It can also increase range of movement by releasing tight and restricted tissues. It can also help with preventing injury by improving the flow of blood to the affected area. A good massage will also stimulate the release of feel-good hormones such as endorphins and serotonin, thereby improving mood and decreasing anxiety and stress.
A massage increases the body’s circulation, which helps remove waste products and nutrients from tissues. It also helps break down adhesions or scar tissue, which can cause pain. A massage will also reduce inflammation and swelling from an injury.
When the body feels pain it tightens all the surrounding muscles to protect the injured tissue. This restricts movement and decreases blood circulation. Over time this can lead to a vicious cycle as tight muscles lead to more pain and reduced flexibility and movement.
Studies have shown that massage can relieve pain and improve quality of life in cancer patients. It can also help reduce the symptoms of some terminal diseases by releasing feel good hormones such as endorphins and dopamine and easing anxiety and depression.
Painkillers are often prescribed for chronic pain, but NSAIDs can have serious side effects and opioids are highly addictive. Research has shown that regular massage can significantly reduce the need for painkillers and may even prevent recurrence of pain.
The kneading and rubbing techniques used in massage cause friction between the skin and fingers. This friction increases the temperature of the treatment area. A rise in temperature causes the tight muscles to relax and loosen allowing movement to increase. This also decreases muscle in-elasticity and allows the muscles to stretch to their full length, thus reducing pain.
Massage can also stimulate the body’s natural pain-killing systems, such as the enkephalins and dynorphins, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for medication. However, it is important to note that massage should not be painful and that if you are experiencing any discomfort during your treatment you should let your therapist know immediately.
Relaxes Muscles
If you suffer from muscle tightness a massage can help. A massage relaxes a tight muscle by increasing the circulation of blood around the muscles, decreasing the tension and increasing the flexibility of the fibres allowing them to move better. Massage also promotes the elimination of lactic acid which reduces the pain and stiffness that occurs with exercise and training.
During massage the pressure applied to an area of the body increases the friction between the soft tissue and the skin. This friction stimulates the increase of blood flow to the soft tissue which increases the temperature and delivers oxygen and nutrients to the muscle cells reducing tightness and improving movement.
Tight muscles are a common problem that can cause injuries. When a muscle is tight it restricts movement, causes pain and makes it physically impossible to relax. The tightness of the muscle also increases stress mentally as the person is unable to release the tension. Massage relaxes a tight muscle by breaking down adhesions and knots and elongating the fibres which allows the muscle to move freely again and reduces pain.
When a muscle is tight it can compress the nerves which then causes pain and discomfort. The compression of the nerves can be caused by many things such as poor posture, repetitive use of the muscles or over exercising past your normal physical capacity. When a muscle is massaged the pressure on the nerves decreases which allows them to resume their natural functioning of transmitting signals from and to the brain. This improves the function of the muscles and other organs in the body.
The maintenance of healthy muscles is important in a training programme as intense exercises can be hard on the muscles. If the muscles are not fully healthy they can become sore and fatigued resulting in a reduction in strength. Massage can help maintain the healthy condition of muscles ensuring they are able to provide full energy throughout a training session.
Research has shown that the cellular activity of the muscles improves with regular massage. This helps the muscles to recover faster from training and injury. Researchers found that a massage can increase the production of energy-generating structures in the cell, reduces inflammatory proteins and increases the rate at which waste products are removed from the muscles.
Improves Blood Circulation
In theory, any massage technique that involves pressure on the body can improve blood circulation. This is because massage can help move the lymph vessels that carry waste away from muscles, and it also stimulates the heart rate, which can increase blood flow.
The best known massage technique to improve circulation is Swedish massage. It combines long, flowing strokes and gentle friction on the skin. As the name suggests, Swedish massage is designed to stimulate the body’s natural circulation system. It increases venous return, which is the speed at which blood returns to the heart from the extremities. This helps improve blood and lymphatic circulation and reduces swelling.
It also increases capillarisation, which is the number of small blood vessels that surround a muscle. More capillaries means more oxygen and nutrients are available to the muscles, which improves their health and boosts energy levels. In addition, more blood moving through the muscles can help reduce tightness and flexibility.
Another way that massage can boost circulation is by preventing or dislodging blood clots. This is why some people with certain chronic conditions, such as pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis (DVT), are advised to have regular massages to help prevent the formation of blood clots.
Some research has shown that massage can help to reduce the risk of DVT after long flights by encouraging flexing of the ankles. It can also help prevent a build-up of lactic acid in the legs, which can cause cramping and leg fatigue.
A final reason for some people to have massage is that it can improve lymphatic drainage. Lymph fluid contains toxins and metabolic waste, so it is important to keep it flowing freely throughout the body. A good lymph flow can help to remove toxins, prevent swelling and boost the immune system. Massage can improve lymphatic drainage by stimulating the muscles to contract and relax.
It can be difficult to know how far massage can actually improve your circulation. It is important to remember that there are many factors that control circulation, including the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems. However, it is also worth mentioning that there are plenty of things you can do to help improve your circulation, such as taking regular exercise, eating a healthy diet and wearing compression socks or tights.