Massage is a great way to reduce the physical signs of stress. Taking a massage after strenuous exercise, extensive travelling or a day full of chores at home is a great way to relax your body. It is also a great way to address back-pain or stiff shoulders that working professionals experience due to improper posture and long hours at their desk.
In a study conducted in 1998 by researchers Hernandez-Reif, Field, Krasnegor and others, massage therapy was found effective in treatment for chronic lower back pain.1In another study conducted in 2000 by Preyde Michele, 63% of subjects who received comprehensive massage therapy reported no back pain.
Scientific research suggests that massage therapy is effective in reducing physical pain by closing the brains gate to the reception of pain before it can be processed2,3,4.
Manipulations and pressures of massage therapy break down subcutaneous adhesions and prevent fibrosis. In other words, massage therapy ensures that the tissues of your muscles that are normally separate, stay separate. If they were to start growing together, they could cause complications.
Massage also helps reduce pain by promoting circulation of blood and helping in lymphatic drainage. Lymphatic drainage is a process by which pain-inducing toxins that accumulate in the body due to an injury or strenuous exercise are eliminated from the body.
Massage also helps reduce pain indirectly by promoting deep sleep. Deep sleep in turn reduces levels of substance P: a chemical compound that is associated with inflammation and pain; and increases somatostatin: a hormone that prevents the release of stress-hormones.5
1Hernandez-Reif, M., Field, T, Krasnegor, J., Theakston, H., & Burman, I. (1998). Chronic lower back pain is reduced and range of motion improved with massage therapy. Manuscript submitted for publication.
