Massage Therapy and its Purpose
- Nov 24, 2016
- 4 min read
By manipulating the body tissues and muscles through touch, a massage therapist can help us relax. When we get a massage, it lowers down the stress levels in our body, decreases any pain that has accumulated in the muscles and releases muscular tension. There are various other benefits of massage therapy that will be touched upon in this text. What you need to understand is that massage will affect your body on various levels, including the tissues, organ systems, and you, as a whole. Of the 11 organ systems that make up our bodies, massage therapy affects them in the following ways:
The Nervous System
By stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, massage therapy can slow down things in your body enough so that it can repair and renew itself
It helps your muscles relax by breaking off the message that keeps them strained and tensed. This is known as in-nervation.
When your body relaxes, your nervous system can focus on working efficiently, instead of worrying about the stress that had your body in its clutches. Thus, massage therapy also improves the transmission of messages.
It gets the ball rolling for an effect known as the pain gate control theory. According to it, pleasure messages travel via neurons faster than the ones signaling pain do. Therefore, massage therapy can help you cope with pain by lessening its intensity through pleasurable message transmission.
The Circulatory System
Massages can have the following effects on the circulatory system:
They can increase:
oxygen availability
blood flow
availability of nutrients
They can decrease:
heart rate
blood pressure
The Lymphatic System
Just as there happens to be a whole network of blood vessels covering the expanse of your body, there is another set of vessels. These lymphatic vessels make up the lymphatic system. With the lymphatic fluid that is circulating in these vessels, the lymphatic system helps defend your body from the infectious and/or foreign bodies that enter it. The system filters these particles and prevents them from entering the blood supply. When you get a massage, it stimulates the body’s immune system. If the massage therapist knows their job, they can direct the massage strokes towards the lymph nodes, making toxin filtration even faster.
The Respiratory System
The respiratory system is stimulated by massages and will respond by increased lung activity. If you have had congestion problems, then by using percussive movements, a massage therapist can encourage the mucus and bronchial secretions to exit the lungs.
The Digestive System
Your digestive system stands to gain the following benefits from massage therapy:
Liver function improvement
Increased digestive juices secretion by stimulation of the abdominal nerves
Stimulation of peristalsis makes for more efficient digestion and lesser likelihood of constipation, bloating, or gas
Stronger intestinal walls
Relief from spastic colon
Improved parasympathetic activity stimulates digestion and switches it back on when it turns off during stressful conditions
Faster waste elimination, which leads to reduced toxicity and relief from constipation
If you go to a capable massage therapist, they will know how to make the mechanical massaging action work in favor of your digestive system.
The Skeletal System
The following benefits can be earned through massage therapy when it comes to the skeletal system:
Posture improvement
Body alignment facilitation
Joint flexibility improvement
Inflammation reduction
Increased mobility
Muscle and tendon relaxation
Soreness decreased
Fatigue alleviation
Muscle spasm frequency and intensity reduction
If performed during an injury healing phase, massage therapy can bring improvement to the following conditions:
tendinitis
muscle strains
fractures
arthritis
ligament sprains
The Muscular System
Your muscles maintain a delicate balance by relaxing and contracting at the right time. However, stressed out muscles can become painful and massage movements can help relax and stretch them. Often, waste products start to accumulate in your fibrous or old scar tissue. If left alone, they might start to fester and become toxic and massage therapy can help prevent that. By overexerting yourself, you stand to face fatigued muscles with built-up of toxic substances increasing with time. Through massage therapy, your muscles are helped to contract and relax and freed from these problems.
The Integumentary System
The integumentary system is also helped by massage therapy. When you get a massage, it can cause the sensory receptors in your skin to start working more efficiently. Massage therapy also increases circulation so that oxygen, nutrients, and other necessary substances are available to all parts of your skin. Massage therapy also helps you shed the dead skin cells and lubricates your skin via increased sebaceous gland secretion.
The Endocrine System
The endocrine system gets to experience the following advantages via massage therapy:
Your body re-enters a state of homeostasis, which means hormonal release is also balanced
Adrenaline can cause your organs and muscles to wear out faster. If you are constantly stressed, adrenaline secretion will also be higher. Massages take the edge off.
They also help your body feel good naturally by releasing endorphins
Massages can result in oxytocin production, which makes us feel nurtured and loved and thus less stressed
The Urinary System
Through massage therapy, the urinary system can eliminate waste products more effectively. When the kidney function is stimulated by massage, it helps it retain more water in the body.
The Reproductive System
Massage therapy affects the reproductive system too and helps:
Restore the hormonal balance
You relax, so you can engage in enhanced love making and enjoy increased fertility
Additional Benefits
Psychological
When you feel cared for, it raises your self-esteem and confidence. The calming effect also reduces any anxiety that you might have felt before. You will also be able to get a good night’s sleep and help your body heal faster.
Emotional
The emotional stress that you carry around with you is released after a massage as physical pain and tension. You leave the room in a more positive state of mind and are ready for the next round of life!
Mental
Massages help your brain relax and you enter a deep state of relaxation. You will feel more focused and attentive as a result and be able to function more efficiently.
There are innumerable benefits of massage therapy of which we have mentioned only a few. So, what are you waiting for? Make an appointment today!
Comments