Hi! I'm Karin Meacham, Licensed Massage Therapist in the state of Oregon (#12233).
Welcome to part three of my four-part series on the whys and hows of massage therapy as an integral part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
Parts 1 and 2 taught us how massage addresses pain—symptom and cause. But where does stress fit in?
#3. Yes, It's Relaxing
But I'm not talking about vegging-out, do-nothing, off-in-la-la-land relaxation (although it’s highly underrated, in moderation). I'm talking about relaxation of the nervous system.
We tend to think of “stress” as a mental thing, something intangible. We “feel stressed-out” or “are under a lot of stress.” But in reality, stress is a profoundly physical thing, something that occurs on a deep bodily level.
When the stress response is engaged, physical symptoms occur in the body. Blood is diverted away from the internal organs and out to the muscles, which prime for running or fighting. Breathing gets shallower and increases pace. Heart rate and blood pressure rise. When the stress response is disengaged, and the relaxation response is stimulated, the body displays the opposite symptoms: Smooth digestion; deep, slow breathing; lowered blood pressure and heart rate.
But did you know it's a two-way street? Professional actors, when they have to cry on cue in a scene, often begin by making their breathing shallow and fast—because it increases the stress response. (Try it!) Olympic athletes, on the other hand, can often be seen intentionally yawning before their events, which decreases the stress response and allows their body to function optimally. Most of us do the same thing by telling ourselves to stop and "take a deep breath" when we're feeling stressed-out.
Yes, taking time out of your busy life for something “relaxing” is important, mentally speaking. But massage is about more than that. When you get a massage, and the physical manipulation of your muscles relaxes them, it forces the nervous system to switch from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest, lowering blood pressure, deepening breathing, and shifting the body's emphasis from coping to healing. Like food and water, air and sleep, this shift to healing is a vitally necessary requirement. NOT a luxury!
Next Time…
Part 4: Your Power to Heal
The REAL reason massage works—it may not be what you think.