Why does it feel so good?
We have long known that rubbing, kneading and stroking muscles has been an effective way of relieving soreness and tension. The first recorded use of massage was around 3000 BC, in China. The Chinese called their technique ‘amma’, which literally means ‘push-pull’. When children fall over, parents often say “Rub it better!” whilst hugging their offspring, providing contact and relieving the soreness from the area by gentle stroking. So we use massage instinctively, and for those of you who have had shoulders rubbed after a long day, know how good it feels - but why? Why does massage feel so good?
In this blog post I am going to concentrate on the non-measurable factors which contribute to a massage feeling great, the science behind massage techniques will be explored in future posts.
Relaxation
Massage is well known to be relaxing and is surprisingly effective in rejuvenating you by melting away the tension, aches and pains. This however, can only be achieved if you feel comfortable with your therapist. It will be difficult for your body to relax if you are nervous or tense about the person conducting the massage, as you will be fighting the physical and chemical processes towards relaxation. Finding a massage therapist you feel at ease with is the key to relaxation. Communicate with him or her whether you would like to be spoken to, during the treatment. You may prefer to be quiet, close your eyes and focus on your breathing, as this will have some affect on the autonomic nervous system along with the massage itself.
Care and attention
Having positive feelings because someone is caring for you can alter the chemical state of your body to be more active in healing and restoring its balance -even if you are paying them for the treatment! By the therapist focussing his or her attention on the parts of your body with pain or injury, this can help you focus on healing that area.
The sensation of touch
The sense of touch is our oldest, most primitive and most pervasive of the five senses. Our bodies have about 50 touch receptors for every square centimetre. Our sense of touch, which develops inside the womb, is our very first sense and many studies have found that babies need touch to thrive. In fact, we all feel better if we are connected to others in our tribe; touch plays an important role in human communication along with the spoken word. Touch can increase your bonding with someone you love, it can lower your blood pressure and reduce anxiety but it also gives us the sensory input we crave. Scientists are just discovering how important it is to exercise all our physical senses for proper brain and emotional development. All kinds of touch, from a hug to a deep tissue massage, send our brains the physical input it needs to make sense of the world.
Timo Massage Therapy
Monday, 17 September 2012
