Anyone who has had a massage, knows it works but they might not know why. Massage has been around for thousands of years and used to relieve pain and other health issues. While this may be true, is there a scientific reason why massage is so effective in the healing process?
In he past, people and have considered massage a luxury, something that makes them feel better. Doctors, while not dismissing massage entirely, may not have suggested them as part of the healing process. Well, things have changed, as science has proven, massage does, in fact, heal.
Today, people are turning to massage for medical reasons including, pain relief, headaches, muscle soreness, and more, while more and more doctors are actually recommending massage to their patients. Some of the reasons for this change in attitude towards massage include, stricter licensing requirements for therapists, increased public awareness and education, and scientific research showing that massage heals on a cellular level.
Researchers have shown how massage therapy is a valid treatment for pain, inflammation, and soft-tissue recovery by doing blood and muscle testing both before and after workouts and before and after massage. The results showed an increase in the gene responsible for mitochondria development which are responsible for energy and cell growth production. Massage research also showed that massage can shut down the genes associated with inflammation. What this actually means is that massage therapy does improve recovery time after injury or exercise on a cellular level.
Massage goes beyond just recovery time though. Massage causes physiological changes in your body through relaxation and mechanical responses, which produce both physical and emotional benefits.
When you relax, your heart and breathing rate decreases, your blood pressure goes down, and your production of stress hormones decrease. As your muscles relax, your levels of serotonin increase. Serotonin positively affects moods, emotions and thoughts. Lowering stress can decrease your chances of developing many chronic conditions such as cardiac disease, high blood pressure, insomnia, digestive disorders and psychological problems.
The mechanical responses to massage have been shown to increase both blood and lymph circulation, remove toxins, improves nerve circulation and relax muscles, tendons, and ligaments, delivering more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. Proper oxygen levels reduce fatigue, give you more energy, enhance brain function, lower stress and help you will look and feel younger.
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