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Stress
One of the best-known antidotes for stress is massage. Stress reduction allows you more energy, improves your outlook on life, and as a result, reduces your likelihood of illness and injury. Symptoms of conditions aggravated by anxiety such as insomnia and asthma can also be relieved by massage. Massage is excellent supportive therapy for people in psychological counseling and/or addiction treatment because it relieves stress.
Massage can provide immediate relief from stress by soothing sensory input that refocuses your attention and interrupting the cycle of mental agitation. Massage triggers relaxation by taking your body off alert and setting into action the biological processes need to restore physical resources. Breathing will slow and deepen, heart rate and blood pressure will decrease, and tense muscles will relax. Your hormone balance will shift and create a deep state of relaxation as digestion and restorative functions return closer to normal.
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Pain
Pain is perceived when the body releases chemicals to stimulate nerves to send pain messages to the brain. This situation is both difficult and dangerous to ignore. The basic cause of the pain should be treated. Massage can be used to directly affect how you experience chronic and persistent pain. Massage stimulates release of endorphins (pain relievers) and can reduce the grip of pain as you focus on the sensation of relaxation.
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Muscle Tension
Muscles will naturally contract around painful sites to protect and support that area. When resolved quickly, the muscles will relax. When pain persists, muscles will become habitually contracted. Contractions can press upon nerves causing tingling, numbness and even more pain. Stretching tight muscles through massage stimulates the nervous system causing the muscle tension to relax.
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Reduced Circulation
Tight muscles are much like a sponge that is squeezed. When contracted (or squeezed), a muscle cannot hold much fluid. Tight muscles reduce circulation. This allows waste products from inflammation and from normal muscle function to accumulate. This accumulation can make you feel fatigued and sore and will reduce your energy reserves. This situation will also irritate nerves and cause pain to spread throughout the affected tense area.
Massage will release contracted muscles and push circulation toward the heart. Massage will also relax the nervous system, causing blood vessels to dilate and increase blood flow. This will flush away waste products and replace them with oxygen and nutrients that will assist in the healing process.
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Restricted Movement
Irritating waste products, painful trigger points, and shortened muscles make even simple actions difficult and tiring. As the capacity of movement and exercise decreases, you lose the most important means for maintaining good circulation throughout your body, risking pain in new areas.
Massage will help restore normal movement by releasing trigger points, removing waste products, and stretching shortened muscles. Because you will feel better after a massage, you will discover renewed energy and motivation for physical activity.
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Trigger Points
Areas with poor circulation, over time, form "trigger points" in muscles and their fascia (connective tissue coverings). Trigger points are highly irritable spots that refer pain, tingling, or other sensations to other parts of the body. Muscles tense around the referred pain and cause the pain cycle to spread.
Trigger points respond well to standard massage techniques such as sustained pressure, ice massage, and muscle stretching.
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Muscle Shortening
In areas with chronically poor circulation, the body will lay down collagen fibers, which are building blocks of scar tissue. This may be helpful for healing injuries, but this natural reaction can "glue" muscles and fascia into a shortened state.
Massage will increase circulation, rehydrating and softening contracted fascia so it can be lengthened by stretching and kneading. Massage can also separate muscle and fascia fibers that collagen has adhered together.
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