02/03/2020
Hello Massage Lovers!
Let's talk about touch and why massage feels so good (and sometimes hurts so good)...
After a massage, I often hear: OMGOSH I feel so much better OR I'm like a wet noodle, my muscles are so relaxed.
What happens during a massage to our body? Why do we feel like that?
1st of all there is a Rush of Feel-Good Chemicals!
A lot is happening in your body and in your brain when you get a massage. A massage has been proven to release a rush of dopamine and serotonin in the brain while decreasing the stress hormone cortisol, leading to overall relaxation. Massage also stimulates pressure receptors, which enhance vagal activity.
Our vagus nerve is one of the 12 cranial nerves in the brain. This nerve is responsible for certain tasks within your body, particularly your heart rate. When activated during massage, your heart rate slows, which lowers blood pressure and decreases stress hormones. This can allow us to sleep better, handle situations a little easier, and be in a better mood after a massage.
A 2nd reason why massage feels so good is because the neurons in your brain respond in different ways to the stimuli of touch. For example, it has been researched that gentle massage and deep tissue massage have the same effectiveness on back pain. How can that be? It’s hard to know at this point, but we do know one thing—chemically speaking, there’s a lot happening inside your body when you receive a massage.
And 3rdly:
It has been researched and studied and it seems that touch is a requirement for proper human development when we are infant and we never stop needing it as we grow older, even if we won’t admit it out loud. All the scientific facts regarding chemicals and hormones and nerve stimulation do little to fully articulate how utterly at peace you can feel during and after a massage.
This may be because touch helps communicate what words simply can’t sometimes. It allows you to get in touch with thoughts and emotions you may not even realize you’ve been carrying around, much less be able to speak aloud to someone. It’s not uncommon for someone to start crying while on the massage table—which means the body needs an emotional release in order to let go of some stored up stress or tension.
Science can explain to some degree why massage feels so good. But I believe it’s good for the souls as well and may be something you have never realized your body needed in the first place.
So, do something good for your body! Call and set up a massage! Your soul will be happier for it!
979-417-8558. Talk to you soon!
