With uncertainty about so many aspects of our lives these days, it’s more important than ever to find tools to manage stress and your response to difficult situations and circumstances. Massage for stress relief is a very effective way to support your resilience and make it easier to handle change at work or at home. It’s a therapeutic tool that has long been used in many cultures to relieve anxiety and lift mood.
How does massage relieve stress?
Massage therapists utilise a wide range of techniques, varying pressure and movement to manipulate soft tissue in your body. Using these techniques brings calm and peace to your nervous system, releasing stored tension and providing relief from pain.
There are two branches of your nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system triggers in a “fight or flight” response in stressful situations, while the parasympathetic nervous system that runs day-to-day operations – otherwise known as ‘rest and digest”.
Massage therapy supports your parasympathetic response, which can ease feelings of anxiety. Functional brain imaging studies have shown that, during massage, changes occur in areas of the brain involved in regulating emotions and stress response, including the amygdala and the hypothalamus. A massage can lower the stress hormone cortisol and boost levels of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters which help stabilise your mood.
Heart rate variability, naturally high during periods when the parasympathetic nervous system is active, responds well to massage. A 2020 study found that just ten minutes of massage created “significant increases” in heart rate variability, evidencing the benefits of massage to soothe your nervous system.
Massage helps the body to ‘stand down’ from a chronic stress response, and this in turn supports the mind to find peace and equanimity.
Stress and pain – the link
When in a chronic stress response, your body will direct blood to your muscles to prepare them to respond to threats. That causes tension, often resulting in headaches and neck or back pain. A range of studies have looked into how massage may ease pain, with results showing that in some cases receiving a 60-minute massage multiple times per week had better results than fewer or shorter massages. Local application of heat with massage therapy has been found to ease neck and foot pain through boosting muscle relaxation.
Massage at Osteo and Physio
Here in our clinics, massage can be offered alongside the osteopathy and physiotherapy provided by our expert practitioners. Massage is safe when done by a trained therapist. If you are struggling with a chronic pain disorder or injury, we welcome an initial call to see how massage can help you with relaxation, key to managing pain and speeding recovery.
It couldn’t be easier to book your appointment with Osteo & Physio! Book a session via our app , website or call our friendly reception team on 0345 5577788.
