How Does Massage Help with Chronic Inflammation?

As mentioned in our previous post, Enjoy Life with Fitness and Massage, diseases associated with chronic inflammation are the most common health problems we face here in America. Examples include: diabetes, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease (including heart disease), disease of blood vessels, heart attacks, stroke, elevated blood pressure, peripheral artery disease, rheumatic heart disease and congenital heart disease.

Other health issues associated with chronic inflammation include weight gain, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune disease, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer are linked to elevated levels of oxidative stress in the body.

So, how does massage therapy help with all this? I think we all know massage helps relieve muscle tension; it also increases circulation - even to areas of your body unable to increase on its own; and with modification can treat specific issues and disorders including it's effect the nervous system.

Today we are going to concentrate on massage therapy’s effects on the nervous system. Massage can either stimulate or sooth the nervous system depending on the type of modality/movement applied.

The autonomic nervous system is in charge of things in the body that happen automatically without us consciously thinking about it: breathing, digestion, heart rate, metabolism, blood pressure, etc. The autonomic nervous system is split into two parts, sympathetic and parasympathetic. Sympathetic nervous (SNS) activity prepares the body for stressful or emergency situations - the fight or flight response. Parasympathetic nervous (PNS) activity controls the body during normal situations. Obviously, activity of both of these are important and healthy. It is when we get into chronic imbalance we see issues.

 

Sympathetic	Activity	Parasympathetic	Activity
INCREASES	DECREASES	INCREASES	DECREASES
Blood Pressure	Digestion	Digestion	Heart rate
Heart Rate	Salivation	Fuel storage (increases insulin production)	Blood pressure
Fuel Availability (sugar, fats, etc are circulated to nourish brain and muscles)	Fuel Storage	Rest/Recuperation	Temperature
Adrenaline Secretion estrogen, progesterone, steroids, cortisol, and cortisone, and chemicals such as adrenalin (epinephrine), norepinephrine, and dopamine		Endorphin secretion (feel good hormones)	Thought Clarity
Oxygen circulation to vital organs (blood to heart, brain, muscles, and organs, and away from skin, limbs, etc)		Circulation to non vital organs (Skin, limbs, etc)
Blood clotting		Immunity (Stimulates the lymphatic system)

In today’s society we tend to live in a state of overactive SNS because we are under high levels of stress for extended periods of time. Whether you work for a fortune 500 company or are a stay-at-home parent, you still have stress; physically, mentally and emotionally brought on by deadlines, kids practice, bills, etc. Over time this taxing of the SNS leads to imbalance. Signs of imbalance are poor digestion, constipation, anxiety, shallow breathing, increased heart rate, poor sleep, irritation, muscle tension, chronic inflammation, frequent illness, and more.

Typically massage decreases the sympathetic nervous activity and increases parasympathetic nervous activity, creating a calming, relaxing state - but remember, because massage can be modified to different situations, this isn’t always the case. There are many massage modalities used to inhibit the SNS and stimulate the PNS, most using a combination of flowing, rhythmic, kneading and compression ranging from light to deep pressure.

When the PNS is stimulated the body is able to resume normal functions. Signs of PNS doing its job are lower heart rate, increased dopamine and endorphin levels (happy hormones), decreased heart rate, healthy sleep patterns, decreased inflammation, and better digestion. How many times have you been on the massage table and your stomach started making noises? Were you embarrassed? Now you know why we always say it is a compliment! It is an indication your body is responding to the treatment and we are doing our job well! :)  

So, one way massage therapy helps with stress related diseases is by decreasing sympathetic nervous activity and stimulating parasympathetic activity. Combine this with physical activity (visit this post to learn more about the fitness side), and you are on your way to an incredibly healthy autonomic nervous system and are in a pretty great position to prevent/treat health issues associated with chronic inflammation.

People who receive massage therapy regularly (every three to five weeks) receive the greatest benefits and have a stronger immune system. You know what we say at Cudly Massage & Wellness: we help you live healthier. So make an appointment, and let us help keep you on the right road to health.

Sources: Veronique Mead, MD, MA http://www.veroniquemead.com/index.php Balance Health Clinic https://balancenaturalhealthclinic.ca/ Science of Massage Institute https://www.scienceofmassage.com/