Massage therapy is a wonderful form of healing art that causes major physiological changes in your body by triggering mechanical and relaxation responses.
Mechanical responses are simply the physical effects that take place when varying amounts of direct pressure are applied to the soft tissue of the body. One of the major benefits that occurs from effective massage therapy falling under this category is the improved blood and lymph circulation. This benefit has a chain reaction of sorts. The improved circulation enhances the delivery of oxygen to the muscle cells. This, in turn, causes a reduced amount of swelling in the tissues and also allows them to function more efficiently.
When tissues are properly relaxed through effective massage therapy, there is less muscle contraction and far less painful spasms that occur. Anyone who has ever had spasms in the neck, back, or shoulder areas knows how problematic this can be. When muscles are less stressed, or less contracted, there is a resulting decrease in nerve compression as well. This should have the added effect of the nerves being better all around nourished and allowed to function more efficiently by transmitting messages to the brain more quickly.
In short, the mechanical response associated with good massage therapy will help the muscles, ligaments, and tendons of your body operate more fluidly and less painfully. The end result is that because your organs share a lot of the same neurological pathways, your whole body will mechanically function better and feel healthier from it.
The relaxation responses are what occurs when the body’s nervous system reacts to different massage techniques. This is the less physical benefit that occurs from massage therapy. The relaxation response is when your heart and breathing rate slow down considerably. Your blood pressure dips and the level of stress hormones being released goes down with it. This response serves the highly beneficial purpose of reducing anxiety, stress, hypertension, insomnia, and even digestive disorders. There’s more, but suffice to say it’s the relaxation response alone that keeps many people coming back on a regular basis for a healthy body and mind from massage therapy.
Whether it’s the physical benefits, the relaxation response, or both from professional massage therapy you’re looking for, you owe it to yourself to pick up the phone and call a professionally trained and skilled massage therapist today!
