Massage and its numerous benefits on body and mind

Good health and well-being depend on a complex interplay between the physical side of the individual and the spiritual, mental, emotional side. Touch therapy has the power to impact every aspect of the individual and treat the whole person.

 

Massage therapy is one of the oldest healthcare practices known. It is an ancient discipline whose history dates back to the 2350 AC in Babylon. Egyptians are documented as the first people practicing massage of the feet and hands (2300 AC). Chinese documents 200 AC talk about the development of a type of medical treatment that includes methods known now under the name of "massage". This Chinese system of treatment included techniques of pressure along the body's meridians in order to release blocked energy, cause of physical discomfort. The rebalance of energy flow would release tension and restore function of organs and muscles in the body. Now a similar approach is used in other manipulative practices such as Japanese shiatsu. Independently Thai people developed yoga massage at the time of Buddha, using a similar concept of pressure on energy channels that they called ‘sen’. They also added stretches and torsions to help release tightness and allow the energy of the body to flow better. Indians have integrated massage with yoga to create a system of exercise and massage for the maintenance of health, vitality and spirituality of the individual. 

Some of the old documents speak of ancient treatments of medical conditions, such as paralysis, fever etc., through breathing exercises and massage of the soft tissue of the patient. Massage has been integrated in medical practice for thousands of years, first in the oriental world and then in the West.

In the West, Hippocrates, the Greek 'father of medicine', preferred to use techniques of body treatment (anartipsis) and natural medicines to surgery. Other Greek doctors used massage techniques to treat injured warriors. Greeks and Romans commonly used gymnasiums and baths where they practiced massage for health of both body and mind.

After the Dark Ages, it was only in 1500 -1600 that ‘massage therapy’ as a discipline started taking shape in France and Germany, for treatment of damaged or broken joints and bones and after surgical operations. Swedish massage was born in Sweden at the end of the eighteenth century, and developed to alleviate or solve pain due to abnormal conditions through the influences on joint movements. The Swedish massage was introduced into the United States in the mid-nineteenth century. In Europe, various disciplines and practices from around the world, Indian, Chinese, Swedish and Danish (lymphatic massage) were used as therapy from the '60s - '70s.

Massage practiced today uses many different techniques developed and specialized through the course of 5000 years of history and experience in medicine and care of the body and mind.

Massage has the ability to restore the structural balance of the body and at the same time help to relieve stress and promote emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing of the individual.

Among the numerous benefits of massage, the most well known obvious is the effect on the structure of the body. Sport massage prepares for better performance and aid recovery from fatigue or trauma. A regular massage can also improve recovery from powerful training sessions and promotes an optimal function of the muscular-skeletal system. Coaches, athletes and health personnel are aware of the effects of massage on the muscular-skeletal system, like reduced muscle tension, increased range of joint motion and general flexibility. Improved blood flow delivers oxygen and nutrients to knotted areas and is key to helping muscles eliminate waste products, such as lactic acid, that may collect in muscles from spasms causing pain. Other immediate benefits largely recognized are the improvement of circulation of blood, lymph, interstitial fluids as well as energy.

These and more effects of massage have been proven by thousands of scientific research works. The effects have been revealed not only on the muscular system, blood and lymph circulation but also on the hormonal and nervous systems. 

Changes in the parasympathetic system (part of the autonomic or involuntary nervous system, measured by heart rate, blood pressure and heart rate variability) and hormonal levels (measured by cortisol levels) following massage result in a relaxation response, reduction in anxiety and improvement in mood state.

The levels of endorphins hormones (hormones of pleasure), oxytocin (the hormone of sociality), dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline and cortisol are influenced by various massage techniques. Single applications of massage therapy were shown in certain studies to reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate, but negative mood, pain, and cortisol level were affected only with multiple applications. Reductions of anxiety and depression during a course of treatment (frequent repetitive treatments) appeared to be the most effective results of massage, similar in magnitude to those of psychotherapy.

Massage has also shown positive impact on psychological conditions like schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bulimia and anorexia, trauma. According to some eminent psychotherapists the body can resolve emotional traumas and shocks if it is assisted through touch therapy in releasing its patterns of chronic tensions and blocked emotion.

Other measured effects of massage are promotion of deeper and easier breathing, relief of tension-related headaches and eyestrain, reduction of the formation of scar tissue following injuries, enhancement of health and nourishment of skin, improvement of posture by changing tension patterns, increased awareness of the mind-body connection and improved mental awareness (especially of own body parts) and alertness generally. Clinical positive results from massage include improvement of pulmonary function in young asthma patients, reduction of psychoemotional distress in individuals who suffer from chronic inflammatory bowel disease, improvement of motor development in premature infants, and enhancement of immune system functioning.
 
Touch used with sensitivity by the therapist allows him/her to receive useful information via the hands about the individual's body, the location of muscle tension and other soft tissue problems.

Touch is also a form of communication and sensitive touch can convey a sense of caring, enhancing the individual's sense of self and well being and reduce feelings of anxiety, depression and social isolation.

Tactile stimulation is essential in all phases of life and deprivation of touch leads to reductions in the level of hormonal substances necessary for health and wellbeing. 

From the moment of birth the individual needs to receive positive experience of touch if we want to have her/him develop and maintain high levels of health and well being in his/her life. Increased handling of infants has shown to increase oxygenation of growing brain cells and the size of the brain; the rate at which these brain cells degenerate and die is double when infants are neglected, thus impeding their development. The area most affected is the hippocampus, center of many emotions. New born babies gain many effects from massage, such as greater weigh gain, increased motor activity, improved alertness, better sleep patterns, reduction of stress behaviors, enhance response to social stimulation among others.

Massage in the elderly helps delay the loss of sensitivity in the skin and the neuroactivity related to it. It also gives reassurance and sense of belonging. 

Frequency of massage sessions can vary widely. If a person is receiving massage for a specific problem, frequency can vary based on the condition, though it usually will be once a week. Some people incorporate massage into their regular personal health and fitness program, receiving massage on a regular basis, varying from once a week to once a month.


References:
Caasanelia L., Stelfox D 2010. Foudnations of massage, 3rd ed. Elsevier Australia
Moyer, Christopher A.; Rounds, James; Hannum, James W. 2004 A Meta-Analysis of Massage Therapy Research. Psychological Bulletin, Vol 130(1), 3-18. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.130.1.3

Pornratshanee Weerapong, Gregory S. Kolt 2005 The Mechanisms of Massage and Effects on Performance, Muscle Recovery and Injury Prevention Sports Medicine , Volume 35, Issue 3, pp 235-256
http://www.answers.com/topic/massage-therapy-2#ixzz372UkqVAV

http://www.spineuniverse.com/treatments/physical-therapy/massage-therapy-helps-ease-neck-back-pain

Can stress mess up our body?

Stress has become a word used colloquially in many circumstances of minor or major complaints. An annoying person is a ‘stress’, work is ‘stressing’, the weather can be ‘stressful’ etc. It is a common saying but it is all also anatomically true; all these are real stresses, or better, stressors. The use of the word stress in biology and medicine is precise and indicates a ‘response to any threat to life or wellbeing’ (therefore the pressure at work would be a threat and the persistent rain another one). 

Stress can be brought on by either physical strain (the stressor): a long run, exposure to toxins or environmental poisons, heat or cold; or by emotional strain: a divorce, a move, a marriage, bereavement, academic pressure, loosing a job, deadlines at work, etc. The physical and physiological reaction is identical in the two cases. Stressors of both types elicit a sequence of reactions by the body, which is called the “stress response” or “fight-or-flight response”. We learned this type of reaction when humans had to face attacks from ferocious predators or had to survive in face of extreme conditions (life in a cave, hunting in a jungle). Although most humans don’t face such threat anymore, the reaction to modern life stressors (traffic jams, playing a rugby match – or sometimes just watching it!-, buying a house) has remained the same. 

The fight-or-flight response is initiated by nerve impulses from the hypothalamus (a part of the brain that controls most involuntary responses like body temperature, hunger, fatigue, attachment behaviors etc.); such nerve commands reach the adrenals (glands that sit on the kidneys) directly, stimulating release of adrenaline and noradrenaline, which increase heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate: they get the body ready to fight or to run. Impulses from the hypothalamus reach also the endocrine (hormonal) system, via the hypothalamus-pituitary tract, to stimulate the pituitary gland (or hypophysis) and the adrenals again. The adrenal glands, stimulated both by the nervous system and by hormones, release cortisol (the major stress hormone), which, along with the growth hormone released by the pituitary gland, stimulates catabolism or production of glucose, aminoacids and fatty acids from fat stores and proteins to provide the necessary energy for movement (fight or run), repair or defense. The pituitary gland also promotes the secretion of thyroid hormones T3 and T4 that increase use of glucose as well, while the insulin response (insulin is the hormone needed to store glucose inside the cell) is shut down so that increased sugar can remain in the blood ready for energy need. Pancreatic release of insulin is thus depressed.

All these reactions aim to put the body in action with increased breathing, increased heart rate, increased muscular contraction needed for the fight or for the flight in front of the threatening predator or office boss or running competitors. At the same time the activity of the digestive, urinary and reproductive systems, quite useless in those situations, is depressed.  

Stress in moderation is not harmful and can be necessary as an incentive in some actions (positive stress or eustress), like getting ready to win a match.

However, when stress is prolonged, repetitive and not dealt with, it can become harmful and lead to diseases: constant stress in fact brings hormonal changes in the body, lowers the immune functions and can lead to many diseases including auto-immune diseases. It is the individual response to stress that can make a difference between a healthy happy life and a miserable life threatened by chronic illness.  This is because it is not the type of stressor that initiates a response but the “perception” of such a stressor by the individual. The perception of an experience determines how we feel when it is happening and how our bodies will be affected (Martino, 2011). What is terribly difficult to endure for one person can be easily managed without consequences by someone else. 

Since constant or repetitive stress can have adverse effects on the body, in order to avoid stress-induced illnesses one should become more relaxed about life and always try to see issues in perspective. Since avoiding stress is rare or impossible, it is important for all to apply measures to release the tension: deep breathing, relaxation techniques, massages, cardiac coherence etc.  

 

How does stress cause disease? Stress has impact on the nervous system, the immune system and the hormonal system. In an emergency situation immediate responses from these systems are needed, but in an unnatural prolonged state of stress they harm the individual. A physical or psychological stress affects the functioning of cells and can have long-lasting influences on physiology and behavior. 

- Impact on the nervous system: prolonged or repetitive stress can lead to physical changes in the brain, such as shrinking of the amygdala (center of emotions, decision making, memory) or the hippocampus (memory). Learning, memory and behavior are thus affected. 

- Impact on the immune system: it is well accepted and understood how a psychological stress is directly correlated to the prevalence of diseases such as infections. The immune cells have receptors for the hormones released during the stress response by the adrenal glands, the pituitary gland and the autonomic nervous system: cortisol, adenocorticotropic hormone, endorphins, noradrenalin, growth hormones, prolactin all influence the immune system. This explains the mechanism of the direct effect of stress on the immune system functioning. Cortisol triggers an increased “innate immune response” represented by high inflammation, a high allergic response, an increase in viral infections and a higher cancer risk. These are responses that you do not wish on a long term. (As a comparison, therapeutic cortisol (cortisone) instead lowers inflammation and suppresses immune and allergic reactions).

- Hormonal system: a continuous stress or a frequent presence of even smaller stresses drain the adrenal glands from which the main stress hormone, cortisol, is released. Prolonged stress can also lower the level of sex hormones like oestrogens and testosterone. Pancreatic production of insulin is interrupted and this, on the long run, can lead to diabetes type 2.

As many as 80% of all major illnesses have been related to stress as a contributor.

Chronic stress, especially through the high level of cortisol released, causes wasting of muscles, suppression of immune system (by cortisol, which suppresses part of the immune system), generation of auto-immune diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple-sclerosis), cancer, hyperlipidemia (high fat content in  the blood and wrong types of fats), atherosclerosis, increase of cholesterol, hypertension, hyperglycemia, diabetes mellitus, abdominal obesity (metabolic syndrome), osteoporosis, mood-behavioral changes, ulceration of GI tract (peptic ulcer, liver damage, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcerative colitis and Chron’s disease, which are precursors of colorectal cancer), insomnia, anxiety, depression.  

Stress is a significant factor also in the birth of certain psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. 

Anxiety is one of the most serious emotional manifestations of stress and is caused by expectations of anything that threatens a person’s body, job, loved ones, values. It occurs in situations perceived as uncontrollable or unavoidable, but that are not really so. It is a state of inner apprehension, often accompanied by nervous behavior, like pacing back and forth, foot tapping, teeth grinding etc.  Anxiety can also be a response to a past mismanaged stress.

Symptoms of stress are high blood pressure, neck-ache, backache, muscles tension, muscle twitching, being unable to sit still or relax, fatigue, insomnia, lack of concentration, teeth grinding, nail biting, suppressed anger, feeling unloved, lack of self-esteem, low sex drive, irritability, tearfulness, loss of appetite or overeating, constant anxiety, frequent infections, allergies, blood sugar disturbances appearing with irritability and sugar cravings.

As many as 77% of people in Western countries complain of stress, and many are related to work. Many young people (younger than 18 years of age) are affected by stress. Some people are stressed but they are not aware of it, but the consumption of their teeth for example is testimony of it. Alert!

Stress also causes body mineral changes: it causes sodium retention, which in turn increases blood pressure. Adrenalin also causes a loss of Mg, Ca (from the bones), K and P. Also, during stress, nutrients are not efficiently absorbed. A nutrient deficiency is thus created with deleterious consequences for many organs. Many of the diseases related to stress are not due to stress alone but to the loss of nutrients: vit C, K, P, B and minerals.

Some people are more at risk of chronic stress depending on their genetic pattern but also on their innate and acquired inability to face challenges and respond properly to increased demands from work, financial issues, surgery or illnesses, society, pollution (noise, atmospheric, toxins), allergies, etc. Nutrient deficiencies from other causes, like improper nutrition, ex lack of B vitamins or Mg, make an individual more at risk of succumbing to chronic stress. Age, gender, social status, social support, religious/spiritual beliefs, personality traits, self-esteem, past experiences are all factors contributing to such susceptibility.

Again, there are many tools that help in learning to managing and coping with repetitive stress: regular exercise, both moderate low-intensity aerobic exercise to boost immunity (too much exercise increases inflammation) and physical practice that balances the immune system reactions and boost an antibody response (suppressed in stress condition): walking, jogging, biking, yoga, tai chi, chi gong; relaxation, breathing practice, like cardiac coherence or pranayama (yoga breathing exercises), meditation and massage are all useful tools that should be relied upon on a regular basis to improve the reaction to stressors.

 Stress: "The best care for the body is a quiet mind". Napoleon.

Bibliography

Mifsud KR¹, Gutièrrez-Mecinas M, Trollope AF, Collins A, Saunderson EA, Reul JM., Epigenetic mechanisms in stress and adaptation.Brain Behav Immun. 2011 Oct;25(7):1305-15. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2011.06.005. Epub 2011 Jun 14.

Craft, J., Gordon. C., Tiziani,. A. et al. 2012 Understanding Pathophysiology, Elsevier, Houston pub.

The Free Library, 2009. Exercise is medicine: using exercise to manipulate TH1 and TH2 immune function. The Townsend Letter Group 06 Jul. 2014 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Exercise+is+medicine%3a+using+exercise+to+manipulate+TH1+and+TH2+immune...-a0202661767