Massage is an ancient natural therapy that benefits all the body’s systems: musculoskeletal, endocrine, reproductive, digestive, urinary, respiratory, cardiovascular, the nervous system and of course the skin. Here’s how…
Muscular system
Massage improves muscle flexibility and tone and reduces the occurance of cramps. Via the circulation it encourages the removal of waste products from the muscles - that can cause soreness after exercise - and also delivers oxygen and nutrients carried in the blood. Massage can also improve the functioning of muscles by reducing fibrous knots, adhesions and scar tissue.
Skeletal system
The application of massage is known to help with bad posture by relaxing and lengthening muscles that may be holding the body in certain unnatural positions. For example, tight pectoral (chest) muscles may encourage a kyphotic posture (round shoulders). Massage will improve mobility by warming the synovial fluid in stiff joints and with some sports massage techniques by physically mobilizing affected areas such as shoulders, wrists and ankles. By aiding circulation massage also improves the blood supply to bones.
Cardiovascular system
Simple techniques such as effleurage (light gliding strokes) encourage blood to travel to the extremities and also aid venous return - you will notice that most massage strokes move toward the heart to help deoxygenated blood in the veins to return to the heart and lungs to be oxygenated and pumped out into the body again.
Massage is also good for reducing high blood pressure. Tight muscles resist the flow of blood back to the heart.
Respiratory system
Massage promotes relaxation and deep breathing by encouraging better posture, opening the chest space, and stimulating the intercostal muscles. Deep breathing improves the level of gaseous exchange taking place in the lungs, thereby delivering benefit to the body at a cellular level.
Lymphatic system
Even the lightest of massage techniques (MLD - manual lymphatic drainage) encourage the movement of lymph (fluid containing some of the bodies waste products) through the vessels thereby reducing oedema (swelling) and promoting the removal of toxins from the the blood. It also increases the body’s immunity by stimulating the production of lymphocytes - white blood cells that protect the body from infection.
Nervous system
The parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated by massage, thereby counteracting the negative symptoms of stress such as reducing blood pressure. By relaxing tight muscles massage also improves the transmission of sensory messages to the brain and helps to reduce pain.
Endocrine and reproductive systems
Massage helps to restore the body to a state of homeostatis - equilibrium. It helps maintain hormone balance, counters the negative effects of adrenalin and encourages the production of pain-relieving endorphins and the calming and nurturing hormone oxytocin.
Digestive and urinary systems
In times of stress the body’s sympathetic nervous system is stimulated, in effect putting the body on high alert. One of the side effects of this is that the digestive system - not required in ‘fight or flight’ mode - is switched off. Massage counteracts this and also speeds up the elimination of toxins from the body. The mechanical action of massage (always clockwise) on the abdomen can assist with digestive transit.
The skin
There are numerous benefits of massage to the skin including improved blood supply, exfoliation, encouraging elasticity of scar tissue and bringing nutrients to the skin through the use of oil.
