“Massage therapy has been noted to relax the nervous system by slowing heart rate and blood pressure. Stress and pain hormones are also decreased by massage, reducing pain and enhancing immune function,” says Dr. Tiffany Field, who heads a touch research institute at the University of Miami Medical School.
Studies of massage benefits have found massage can: Help reduce stress. Lessen pain and muscle tightness. Increase relaxation.
In the recovery-related outcomes, massage guns were shown to be cost-effective instruments for stiffness reduction, range of motion and strength improvements after a fatigue protocol. No differences were found in contraction time, rating of perceived exertion or lactate concentration.
Massage therapy is the scientific, systematic, manual, or mechanical manipulation of the soft tissues of the body for the purpose of normalizing those tissues.
Emotional Intensity Trauma massage therapy can sometimes be emotionally intense. The release of stored trauma can bring up strong emotions, which may be overwhelming for some individuals. Not a Standalone Treatment While beneficial, trauma massage therapy should not replace traditional treatments like psychotherapy.
Massage induces biochemical and energetic shifts by alleviating physical tension. This release can stir emotions and lead to tears, signaling a healthy, natural process of stress relief and emotional balance.
Trauma is not physically held in the muscles or bones — instead, the need to protect oneself from perceived threats is stored in the memory and emotional centers of the brain, such as the hippocampus and amygdala. This activates the body whenever a situation reminds the person of the traumatic event(s).
A massage helps pre event by increasing the level of positive hormones around the body. Increasing the positive hormones endorphins, serotonin and dopamine encourages relaxation. An increase in relaxation reduces the feelings of anxiety and nervousness, decreasing stress and tension.
Elbows give your massage more leverage
Hands, knuckles and forearms may enable your therapist to direct satisfactory pressure when massaging the rest of your body but more fibrous tissues require the elbow lever to sink deeper in order to melt away muscle tension.
The chemical release caused by rubbing the skin plays a significant role in easing your pain. When the therapist places pressure on your skin, it stimulates the vagus nerve. This sensory nerve releases a chemical cocktail of wellness into your bloodstream.
Massage guns are designed to help improve muscle recovery, increase blood flow, and reduce muscle soreness and tension. While using a massage gun may help to improve circulation, it is not designed to burn fat directly.
Advocates say that as little as 15 minutes a day of whole-body vibration three times a week may aid weight loss, burn fat, improve flexibility, enhance blood flow, reduce muscle soreness after exercise, build strength and decrease the stress hormone cortisol.
Muscle knots don't contain toxins. But some people claim that deep tissue massage can lead to lymphatic drainage and the release of toxins. While the lymphatic system does work to remove waste products from your body, there's limited research on lymphatic drainage treatment in general.
Your urine may become darker and smelly due to the stimulation of the kidneys. Your urination frequency may also increase throughout the day because your body is ridding itself of all the excess toxins. Lastly, you may feel sore and fatigued following your session.
Physical benefits
For most patients, massage therapy is an important part of specific medical treatment plans to help them return to daily activities. For example, massage therapy is helpful after joint replacement surgery or injury.
Lack of blood supply to the muscle causes lactic acid to build up, over time this can solidify with calcium deposits and is often the reason we hear a crunching sound when trying to realise the knots.
Unfortunately, scientific evidence on massage therapy is limited. Researchers are actively trying to understand exactly how massage works, how much is best, and how it might help with specific health conditions. Some positive benefits have been reported.
“Shoulder strain of the deltoid and rotator cuff group muscles is extremely common in massage therapists,” explains Muscolino.
Many people think that because massage is a natural therapy that it can't do any harm, but this is a classic example of where it absolutely can. Many therapists believe that by relieving muscle tension with a deep tissue massage, they will release emotions and therefore help to heal trauma.
1. What are the general massage frequency guidelines? It is generally recommended to get a massage once a month to maintain the benefits of relaxation and stress relief. However, some individuals may benefit from more frequent sessions, especially if they have specific health concerns or physical discomfort.
Reflexology can remove some toxic substances from the body very quickly. If they are not released fast enough, or if the treatment is overdone, one can experience some mild toxic effect that usually disappears quickly.
The resulting body maps suggest that people often feel: anger in the head or chest. disgust in the mouth and stomach. sadness in the throat and chest.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a mental health treatment technique. This method involves moving your eyes a specific way while you process traumatic memories. EMDR's goal is to help you heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences.
Signs your body is releasing trauma can sometimes be subtle or surprising, but recognizing them is key for moving forward in your healing journey. Here are some signs to look for: Sudden emotional outbursts such as crying or laughter. Changes in physical health, like reduced muscle tension or headaches.