How Massage Helps
This page is intended to give you general knowledge about Massage Therapy using information collected over the last 15 years. (Rattray and Ludwig, 2000)
The Effects of Massage
The effects of massage are both physiological and psychological in nature. Physiological effects can be mechanical (stretching muscles, increasing circulation, etc.) or reflexive (affecting how the nerves fire in the brain, muscles and organs). The psychological effects are well documented and show that even in 15 minutes cortisol, the stress hormone, can be dramatically reduced. Tension, fatigue, anger can all decrease with the caring touch of massage.
Pain Control
Massage affects pain in various ways. Over the source of pain it can stop the nocioceptive (painful) nerve firing. It can raise blood flow to areas of ischemia - or poor blood supply - such as painful "knots" (trigger points) in muscle tissue, many of which contribute to tension headaches. Once the knot disappears, the headaches usually do too. Massage can also release endorphins, opiate-like substances that control pain chemically, blocking transmission of the pain signal.
Circulation
Massage can affect local blood flow in several ways, both mechanically and reflexively. Light massage causes an immediate but short term dilation of vessels close to the surface while deeper techniques dilate vessels for longer, possibly by dilating deeper vessels into which the surface vessels flow. In this way it can help to clear out metabolic wastes from tissues following inflammation or damage and help to deliver oxygen and nutrition to the cells to speed healing. Reflexively the circulation affects the autonomic nervous system which controls the organs. The stomach, for instance, might relax and lower its acid output following massage.
Massage and Blood Pressure
Various studies have demonstrated that massage can lower blood pressure. A simple technique like stroking has been shown to reduce blood pressure and the heart rate. Light massage has also been found to decrease blood and plasma viscosity. This may be due to increased blood flow or to the vasodilation response to massage pressure. Better blood flow also improves tissue health.
The Lymphatic System
There are specialized techniques that increase lymphatic flow as much as nine times the normal rate. Even light Swedish techniques along with limb elevation can dramatically affect the flow of lymph. Massage mechanically pumps fluid through the vessels when sometimes the swelling itself is blocking the flow. This reduces pain and swelling, and increases urine output by sending the fluid back to the body's watersheds and on to the kidneys. This urine typically holds higher concentrations of histamines, corticosteroids and adrenalines, suggesting that metabolic wastes are also being eliminated from the injury site.
Those Aching Muscles
Range of motion is increased by massaging muscles. Massage causes muscles to relax, unhooking them from shortened positions. Muscle spasm is reduced by joint play. Massage can help to eliminate and prevent fibrosis and adhesions in muscle tissue following injury or immobilization. This, combined with joint manipulations, also guards the joints and surrounding structures from becoming adhered with scar tissue (for instance, as in frozen shoulder).
What Massage Cannot Do For You
Where there is permanent nerve damage massage cannot prevent muscular atrophy. And, unfortunately, there is no evidence to suggest that massage increases muscle tone, strength or bulk, and it will not directly decrease cellulite or adipose (fat) tissue. (Sorry about that!)
Respiratory Function
Various techniques can be used to improve respiratory function, expand the chest and clear mucus in the bronchi. When this is combined with reducing stress levels it can have a positive effect for asthma and bronchitis sufferers
The Immune System
Massage therapy appears to increase the activity of the immune system, primarily by reducing stress. Stress is known to decrease immune response, so battling stress has overall positive effects on the body and specifically on the immune system.
Psychological Responses
Finally, and perhaps most obviously, massage lends the feeling of well being. This happens very directly by soothing aching muscles and altering body chemistry (cortisol reduction, etc.) so that the body's organs and autonomic functioning improves. "Fight or Flight" is reduced and, separately, "Rest and Digest" is increased. We accept some stress as normal in a healthy individual. Stress increases exponentially with disease. But for the healthy and the ill the caring and skilled touch of a massage therapist is both medically and personally significant.