If you’re looking for a relaxing experience There are a few things we are all familiar with the word spa: Spa days, cuddling up with a fire, staying asleep until p.m. and, obviously having a massage. While a massage West End is fantastic to help you relax but it also has beneficial effects for your health, too.
The term “massage” itself actually encompasses an array of kinds of massages, ranging in the range of Swedish massage (the most well-known type) or massages that are particular focus and goal, such as a sports massage, which is aimed at helping athletes recover.
Whatever the form, the benefits of massage all boil down to one aspect the pressure. “The skin is moved during moderate pressure, which causes a relaxing and a slowing of the nervous body,” says Tiffany Field, PhD, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine. This slowing of the nervous system is accompanied by different physiological effects too which include a decrease of heart beat, lowered blood pressure, and changes in EEG pattern (electrical activity in your brain) Field says. Field.
Furthermore, in order to observe the effects it’s not as long as you’d think. “For research we’ve been able to demonstrate positive effects of massages that are only 20 minutes long,” says Mark Hyman Rapaport, MD, chief of mental health services at Emory Healthcare, who has led numerous studies focusing on the effects of massage. This means that when you go for massage (most of which are usually advertised as 50 minutes, according to the doctor. Rapaport), you’re being pressured for more than sufficient time to experience maximum benefits.
What if you don’t have the money to take a trip to the spa right across the street? “You do not have to visit massage therapists every day,” says Field. “You can treat yourself to a massage.” Because we’re able to reach most regions of our bodies, you can do 20 minutes of self-massage with a massage brush in the shower or even by rubbing with a tennis ball to your limbs, as she explains.
So if you’re thinking about scheduling a session or investing in a massager here are the six biggest benefits to know about.
If you’re suffering from anxiety, a study suggests that a massage can actually help significantly alleviate your symptoms. “What we believe is going on is it’s decreasing the sympathetic response that is seen in people suffering from generalized anxiety disorder, and also increasing this sort of parasympathetic response,” says Dr. Rapaport who was the lead researcher of the study.
Your body actually has two distinct nervous systems: the sympathetic nervous system as well as the parasympathetic nerve system. “Your sympathetic nervous system is one of fight or flight,” says Rudy Gehrman, DC, a sports chiropractic doctor and the founder of Physio Logic in New York. “If you’re getting caught by a lion this is your sympathetic nervous system.”
When you massage the parasympathetic (or calm) response will increase and results in a decrease in anxiety, as per Dr. Rapaport.
And equally great news? Those effects of massage on decreased anxiety can actually be lasting. “We did an informal follow-up, and a significant number of those who were treated remained stress-free in the range of six months to 18 months later,” says Dr. Rapaport.
Have trouble sleeping or suffer from insomnia? Massage can actually aid you in sleeping more deeply. “Sleep is all dependent on how much activity is happening within the nerve system” states Field. Also, when you have massages, the nervous system actually is slowed down by the pressure.
Additionally, when you’re getting deeper, more restorative sleep, says the doctor that it reduces the amount of substance P (a neurotransmitter used to treat pain) that reduces overall pain. If you’re struggling with pain, massage can do double duty.
It’s all too common: You’ve been twirling and tossing throughout the night, your you’ve been exhausted from work and you’re exhausted to the point that you’re barely able to take five minutes to take a deep breath. “Some people feel tired because they’re not getting enough sleep,” says Dr. Rapaport. “Other people are getting fatigued due to a variety of biological reasons.”
Whatever causes your fatigue is, one simple solution is (you have probably heard it) a massage. In fact, a recent study by Dr. Rapaport found that breast cancer patients who were treated weekly with Swedish massages experienced a reduction in their fatigue. This is a especially debilitating aspect of the disease. To get the best effects from Dr. Rapaport’s research, try receiving a massage every week.
Aid certain health conditions
Your body has two different immune reactions: Th1 and Th2 and they have to be in harmony to keep your immune system function optimally, says Field. “If Th2 levels are in excess of the Th1 system and you develop an autoimmune problem,” she says.
However, during massage, you’re slowing down stress hormones to help maintain this balance, she says. In turn, this can help make autoimmune conditions like asthma or type 1 diabetes or dermatitis, more manageable by reducing fatigue or pain.
Have trouble staying present during a meeting that lasts more than 10 minutes ? Or doing a book reading before bed? Massages can actually improve your attention and ability to concentrate.
This is because, in order for you to be able to focus, your heart rate needs to be reduced. “If my attention isn’t there, it’s usually because my heart rate is high,” says Field. “And once I’ve gotten my heart rate lower, I’ll be more attentive.”
Since massages slow down your nervous system, the heart rate will be slowed down also. After a massage pressure receptors stimulate vagal activity which originates from the brain’s nerve which connects to different branches of the body including the heart, Field says. Field. When you’re under the pressure of a massage, it might slow down your heart rate as well, which ultimately can improve your concentration.
If you experience an injury or joint pain (especially in cases where the issue is persistent or long-term), says Gehrman there’s a chance that you’ll have the condition known as soft-tissue restriction, which cause knots or trigger painful points. “Massage therapists are rid of soft-tissue restrictions and expanding circulation,” he says.
Those restrictions can, over time, result in problems such as joint degeneration or ligament issues, so by systematically massaging those soft-tissue restrictions, you’re not only helping the injury you’re currently experiencing, but also helping prevent from developing other problems further down the line. But the key to remember when getting a massage for your injury is to choose an experienced, licensed massage therapist who has a wealth of experience working with injured patients.
“Because any type of soft tissue work you’re in essence damaging the science of it If you do it too deeply, that patient won’t recover from the process,” says Gehrman. A licensed, professional massage therapist is competent to identify which parts around the injury need massage and which ones are best to avoid.
Do you have any concerns about massages?
Although there isn’t any proof of negative effects of massage, if you’ve got a medical history involving things like cardiovascular disease, cancer, or diabetes, those are things that you must make any massage provider aware of and go to someone who is experienced of this specific issue.
Pregnant women should also seek out a therapist with pregnancy experience–“For pregnant women you must be really, really careful with positioning,” says Gehrman.
Osteoporosis sufferers should seek out an osteoporosis specialist who is experienced in treating this condition, too. “You could easily break bones or ribs If a person’s condition is, really osteoporotic,” says Gehrman.
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