Regular Massage Tulsa can also boost immunity by increasing natural killer cells and reducing proinflammatory cytokines. It can even help with insomnia and regulate circadian rhythms.
During massage, the brain’s activity levels decrease, and the heart rate slows. This helps reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Additionally, the body releases feel-good hormones that help calm the nervous system and promote relaxation.
Moreover, massage encourages the release of serotonin, which works much like Prozac to counteract depression by regulating your mood. It also helps boost your oxytocin, which produces positive feelings of contentment. Therefore, a great massage can be beneficial prior to a big event to help you get in the zone mentally and physically.
Massage lowers cortisol, which is a hormone released during stress. It also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system that triggers your “rest and digest” response, thereby lowering your blood pressure.
Another key way that massage relaxes the mind is by encouraging mindfulness. When you’re getting a massage, you are encouraged to fully engage in the experience by focusing on your breath and relaxing your muscles. Practicing mindfulness during massage can help you detach your emotions and observe them without reacting to them, which is helpful for those who struggle with mental health issues.
Massage is also a great treatment to receive before a physical event, such as a sporting competition, to help you relax and prepare your body. This is because it increases blood flow to the tissues, allowing your muscles to stretch and expand freely without restriction. As a result, you’ll be in a better position to perform at your best. You’ll be able to concentrate more on your game and less on your nerves or the jitters you might usually feel before an important event. This is why some athletes opt to receive regular massages during training.
Reduces Stress
Stress is a normal part of life, but over time it can lead to health problems. When the body is under excessive amounts of stress, the adrenal glands can become fatigued, and this causes high blood pressure and heart rate, stomach issues, anxiety, weakened immune system, low libido and depression. Massage is proven to decrease the effects of stress and improve moods by triggering the body’s relaxation response. During this state, the heart and breathing slow, blood pressure goes down, muscles relax and levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, decrease.
Studies have shown that even ten minutes of rest increases psychological and physiological relaxation, but it seems that massage is the most effective way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This system is the body’s principal engine for relaxation and recovery.
During massage the sense of smell is stimulated, and this helps to trigger the release of feel good chemicals called endorphins. These chemicals help to calm the peripheral nervous system which is the communication relay between the brain and extremities. Massage also encourages the body to release serotonin, which is a natural mood enhancer and stress reducer.
The lowering of stress levels caused by the relaxing effect of massage, allows the body to start healing. This can aid in the recovery from injuries and prevent further damage to the body. When a person is injured, conditions like swelling, muscle fatigue and weakness can arise causing pain and preventing the individual from returning to their normal activity. Massage can stimulate the lymphatic system allowing it to remove metabolic wastes more efficiently and thus reduce swelling and speed up healing. This reduction in stress and increased healing can significantly increase a person’s quality of life, particularly if they suffer from a chronic disease or illness.
Boosts Immunity
While sanitizer and hand sanitizer are essential during the cold and flu season, getting massages to boost immunity is also recommended. Studies have shown that getting regular massages can increase the activity of white blood cells, which help fight off viruses. Moreover, massage improves lymph circulation in the body, which helps remove waste from the tissues.
In a study conducted by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, volunteers who received 45-minute massages showed increased lymphocytes in the body, a type of white blood cell that plays an important role in defending the body against disease. They also had a decrease in levels of cytokines, inflammatory chemicals that play a significant role in the immune system.
Massage also reduces cortisol, a stress hormone that suppresses the immune system. In addition, the effleurage (long strokes) and petrissage (short kneading motions) of Swedish massage and lymphatic drainage massage are immune-boosting power moves that help the body process metabolic waste more quickly, while improving fluid balance in tissues and removing bacteria from them.
The sedative effect of massages also promotes good sleep, which is crucial for the body’s ability to fight off infection and disease. A lack of good sleep can have a very negative impact on the immune system and lead to a host of health issues. If you suffer from chronic pain or tension, getting a therapeutic massage can help ease those symptoms and keep your immune system strong, so you can ward off infections and diseases.
Improves Sleep
Having a regular massage is not only good for releasing stress and decreasing anxiety, it’s also known to improve sleep. Many people who struggle with insomnia or other sleep disorders have found that getting a regular massage helps them get the restful night’s sleep they need.
Studies have shown that a massage increases serotonin, which is a precursor to the sleep-inducing chemical melatonin. This increase in melatonin is believed to help regulate the body’s circadian rhythm, or sleep/wake cycles. In addition, research has found that massage reduces cortisol levels, the hormone that causes stress and is linked to poor sleep quality.
In fact, a study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience found that those who had massages on a regular basis experienced fewer sleep problems than those who didn’t. The researchers believe that this is due to the relaxing impact of a massage and how it can stabilize a person’s journey from wakefulness to sleep.
While the exact mechanism of how a massage improves sleep is unknown, it’s thought that the effects may be due to the way a massage stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which leads to relaxation and improved regulation of the circadian rhythm. It may also be due to the way that a massage lowers cortisol and increases serotonin and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters that boost mood stability.
If you struggle with sleeping, it’s important to make a habit of it and try to stick to a regular schedule. You should also incorporate other healthy practices into your routine, such as exercise and avoiding screens that emit blue light before bed. Adding a regular massage to your routine could be the key to improving your quality of sleep and, in turn, your overall health.
Decreases Pain
Over time tense muscles and stressed joints can become inflamed and build up toxins. These toxins hinder the flow of oxygen rich blood to essential parts of your body. Massage breaks up and releases these toxins and gets your blood flowing again. This boosts your immune system and improves your mood.
During a massage, your skin and the fingers of your masseuse create friction. This stimulates blood flow and the flow of healing nutrients that are carried within your blood. Massage also decreases pain by interfering with the painful messages sent from damaged tissues to the brain. The pain receptors in the body become hypersensitive to these harmful messages and cause the feeling of pain. Massage rebalances the message pathway by sending other signals to the brain that interrupt and cancel out the pain messages.
Massage is safe, especially when done by a trained professional. While it may be uncomfortable at times, the therapist can adjust the pressure or position you are in to minimize discomfort. It is important to communicate with your therapist so that they are aware of any areas where you experience discomfort, such as an area of chronic aches or a specific injury.
Research shows that massage decreases cortisol levels and increases oxytocin, which is known as the “love hormone.” This helps reduce stress, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, heart disease and even obesity. It is also believed that these hormones increase a sense of belonging and foster healthy relationships. In addition, it is thought that massage can help people with a mental health condition talk about their problems openly. Studies have found that patients who receive massage are more likely to seek therapy if they are in distress.