Therapeutic Massage

General Medicine has come a long way in the past few decades in recognizing the verifiable benefits of massage therapy on conditions like anxiety, depression, chronic pain, fatigue, and more recently, sleep.

Touch is the earliest of the sense modalities to develop. There have been many studies on this, and findings are that touch is critical throughout life for human development. From birth it enables us with communication and cognitive awareness – it grounds us to the world and connects us to others.
Many cultures throughout the world exhibit social haptic (relating to the sense of touch) behaviour of hand holding. This triggers oxytocin and endogenous (originating from within) opioids. Touch is soothing and empathic.

When we are stressed, the body responds by releasing the hormone Cortisol. Cortisol is best known for producing the “fight or flight” response. It affects sleep patterns and diminishes the quality of sleep. High cortisol levels can cause several symptoms, such as weight gain, headaches, irritability, and others.
The stress response begins in the brain. When someone perceives danger, the eyes, or ears (or both) send the information to the amygdala, an area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing. The amygdala interprets the images and sounds.  When it perceives danger, it instantly sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus.

The hypothalamus activates the stress response system — known as the HPA axis. This network consists of the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands.

Many people are unable to find a way to put the brakes on stress. Chronic low-level stress keeps the HPA axis activated, rather like a motor that is idling too high for too long. After a while, this contributes to the health problems associated with chronic stress.

THIS is where massage can help ! Massage therapy increases the release of serotonin and melatonin – hormones that allow the body to reset its circadian rhythm. Serotonin is needed for the body to produce melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that tells the body to slow down and this induces sleep.

Research has found that delta waves – brain waves which appear in heaviest concentration during the deepest realm of sleep - increase as a result of massage.

Being able to relax is one of the best things a person can do to improve their sleep. Stress can cause heightened heart rate and blood pressure. During a massage, as the heart rate and blood pressure lower, a sense of well-being and relaxation is created.  Improved sleep generally follows this relaxed state of mind and body.

A deep state of relaxation also reduces pain and tension in the body. Studies show that people living with chronic pain experience a decrease in long-term pain as a result of better sleep, because massage relieves pain caused by tense muscles and inflammation and increases flexibility. Massage promotes circulation, flushes toxins stored in the muscles and promotes the
body’s natural ability to heal from pain and injuries.

In short, therapeutic touch is effective in treating painful conditions resulting from anxiety and tension (Umphred’s Neurological
Rehabilitation, Rolando Lazaro PhD). It is a holistic approach