Overview
A visit to your physician for stress-related symptoms may result in a pleasant prescription: a therapeutic massage. Western medicine is embracing the effectiveness of therapeutic massage for treating stress disorders. Promising clinical research reveals that therapeutic massage effectively reduces stress, both mentally and physically.
Theories
In a study cited in the “Journal of Applied Behavioral Science,” employees working for a company that was in the process of being downsized reported a statistically significant reduction in stress levels after receiving massage therapy. The speculation is that stress increases muscle tension, while massage decreases muscle tension. When a muscle is continually tightened, circulation is reduced, blocking the absorption of oxygen and nutrients. Tense muscles become starved for oxygen and may be prone to a buildup of metabolites such as lactic acid. Massage helps by loosening, stretching and lengthening muscle fibers. This process increases circulation, bringing oxygen and nutrients back to the area of tension, creating a sense of well-being.
Significance
Stress affects your brain by releasing powerful chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. One of these neurotransmitters is the hormone cortisol, often referred to as “the stress hormone.” Cortisol negatively affects many systems throughout the body. An increase in cortisol levels can result in an increased heart rate, which affects your heart, lungs, circulatory and digestive systems. High cortisol levels are also associated with a weakened immune system. An article in the October 2005 issue of the “International Journal of Neuroscience” reported that massage can decrease cortisol by 31 percent.
Benefits
Massage increases levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin. Healthy, balanced levels of serotonin produce a calm, general sense of well-being. Dopamine assists the human body with mood, attention, learning and sleep. Oxytocin, dubbed the “hugging hormone,” produces feelings of calm and contentment. In a study on massage therapy by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, serotonin levels in the test subjects increased by 28 percent, dopamine by 31 percent.
Research
A 1992 study found that massage reduced anxiety in depressed, hospitalized adolescents, according to the “Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.” The adolescents were divided into two groups. One group received 30-minute back massages daily for five days. The other group watched relaxing videotapes for the same time periods. Mood was measured by patient surveys and saliva was tested for cortisol levels. The massaged subjects were statistically less depressed and anxious and had lower cortisol levels than the video group.
In 2009, the “Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies” published a study investigating the immediate effects of traditional Thai massage. Thirty-six patients were randomly assigned to receive either a 30-minute Thai massage, or a 30-minute period of bed rest. The study results pointed to a statistically significant link between massage and a reduction in anxiety and muscle tension.
Considerations
Professional massage therapists must be licensed. Requirements vary by state, with most states requiring a minimum of 500 in-class hours of training.
