Massage Therapy for Health By Carol Wiley

Yes, massage feels good. But, more importantly, massage
helps maintain and promote good health. Three of the primary
health benefits of massage are improved circulation, reduced
muscle tension, and relief from the effects of stress.

Massage increases lymph flow and blood circulation. Your
body depends on the flow of lymph and blood to remove
metabolic waste and by-products of tissue damage and
inflammation and to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissue
cells.

Secondly, massage reduces muscle tension. Tense muscles lead
to stiffness, reduced movement potential, impaired
circulation, and pain. Massage relaxes muscles through the
mechanical effects of pressure on muscle tissue and the
soothing effects of focused, skilled touch on the nervous
system, which controls muscle tension.

A third important benefit of massage is relief from the
effects of stress. Negative stress is a major factor in many
of the diseases that plague our lives. Various sources
estimate that 70-90% of visits to general physicians are for
stress-related illness.

The effects of stress on the body are the result of the
fight-or-flight response. Here's how the fight-or-flight
response works. Let's say that during a backcountry hike an
angry cougar confronts you. You have two choices--run or
fight.

Your body prepares for action: your muscles tense, your
heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure all increase,
your liver dumps sugar into your blood stream for energy,
and your adrenal glands pump adrenaline into your system.
Your body also shuts down the digestive, urinary, and
reproductive systems, which are not needed for immediate

Then after your successful fight or flight, your body pretty
much returns to normal as a result of the intense physical
exertion.

Most of the stresses we face in today's world are subtler
than a cougar. But when someone yells at you for no apparent
reason, your body has much the same response that it has to
that cougar. Since it's not acceptable to either fight or
run, you just stand there and your body does not as easily
return to a normal state.

The effects of such stresses are cumulative: over time your
body spends more time in the hyped-up fight-or-flight state.
You can see where this state could lead to chronically tense
muscles and to heart, blood pressure, blood sugar,
digestive, urinary, or reproductive problems.

Massage therapy helps reverse the effects of stress by
creating the opposite of the fight-or-flight response: the
relaxation response, which lowers heart rate, breathing
rate, and blood pressure and increases the blood supply to
all the body's systems.

Although massage has many wonderful benefits, it is not for
everyone. Most types of massage are not appropriate for
someone with advanced heart disease, uncontrolled high blood
pressure or diabetes, blood clots, and a few other
conditions. Massage therapists take a health history to
ensure that you receive safe and effective massage.

Regular massage helps you maintain good health. The effects
of massage are cumulative. If you have a massage only when
you are totally stressed or in pain, you start over each
time. Receiving massage as often as you can physically,
time-wise, and financially afford is an excellent investment
in your health.

Carol Wiley, LMP, is a massage therapist in Bellevue, WA. Visit http://www.bellevuemassagetherapy.com for more information about massage, wellness, and self-care (including stretching, exercise, stress management, and more).

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