Benefits Of Massage As A Stress Management Technique
By Laurie Moon
To appreciate why massage is such an effective stress management technique, it’s important to understand the effects of stress on your body.
Whenever you’re faced with a stressful situation, whether it’s real or imagined, your body initiates what is called a stress response. This stress response is also called a “fight or flight” response because it causes the same bodily changes that allowed our ancient ancestors to fight or flee from predators.
The physiological effects of stress on your body occur for one reason only - to prepare your body for physical action.
Here’s what happens …
Your heart rate and blood pressure increase to supply extra blood to your brain and muscles. This occurs to assist you in making the best decision in the face of danger & if all else fails, stand and fight or run away.
Your breathing becomes quick and shallow to supply more oxygen to your muscles.
Your digestive and reproductive systems shut down to preserve energy.
Glucose (sugar) is released into your bloodstream to give you more energy.
Certain hormones are released to keep you alert.
Unfortunately, physical action (fighting or fleeing) isn’t very useful in dealing with the types of stress that we face today. Our stressors are money problems, relationship issues, trouble with co-workers, and modern day traffic. If you don’t have a physical outlet to deal with these types of issues, the stress in effect, builds up in your body and becomes chronic.
Over time, your tense muscles begin to spasm, and you might also experience chronic headaches or perhaps neck, shoulder and back pain.
Massage to the rescue
When you’re under severe or chronic stress, massage can be a fast and effective way to break the stress cycle. Massage triggers what’s called a relaxation response or “rest and digest” response. This counters the stress fight or flight response and helps your body restore balance.
During the massage, the relaxation response will begin to kick in. Your heart rate and blood pressure will decrease and you’ll find that you are now breathing more deeply. Your muscles start to relax as the tension is kneaded out of your body. Painful sensations and muscle spasms gradually begin to subside. Any feelings of anxiety will decrease and your mood will improve.
Although the relaxation effects of massage are immediate, the real benefits come when you use massage on a regular basis. Research done by the American Institute of Stress demonstrates that the more frequently you receive a massage, the more pronounced and long lasting the effects will be. It doesn’t matter if you receive a full body massage or a chair massage, the results are the same.
Now that you can recognize the symptoms of stress, you are more than equipped to take control of it before it takes over your life.
Be in good health.
This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog, or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.
Laurie Moon is a New York State licensed Massage Therapist and the Founder and President of Back in Business, Inc., a corporate on site chair massage company servicing New York, New Jersey & Connecticut. You can visit her website at http://www.nychairmassage.com to receive a FREE on-site chair massage demonstration for your organization.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laurie_Moon
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