During this month, our focus falls on matters of the heart.  In fact, February is American Heart Month.  If you Google “heart health”, aside from all the drug ads, you will likely retrieve responses about healthy diet, exercise and reducing stress.  What you may not find, however, is how massage therapy affects your heart, by affecting your cardio-vascular system, Autonomic Nervous Systems (which controls heart rate, digestion, respiration rate, etc.) and even the endocrine system (glandular/hormones).   Massage can create tremendous change in your body and it is important and helpful to know how that change affects you.

Massage therapy creates changes in your blood pressure.  When your massage therapist performs the most basic methods of treatment known as effleurage, such as long superficial strokes, kneading and tapotement (chopping and beating types of movement), it stimulates receptors that send messages of relaxation to the central nervous system.  These reflexes cause vasodilation, which is the widening of the blood vessels that results in decreased blood pressure and heart rate.

When your massage therapist uses more specific methods of treatment, typically aimed at breaking up scar tissue and freeing areas of immobilized muscle fibers called adhesions, one side effect can be an increase in blood pressure.  These more specific treatments work by allowing the cardio-vascular system to move stagnant blood out of a tightened area and flood it with new, fresh blood that aids in healing the damaged tissue.  This increased blood circulation can increase intra-vascular pressure.  For most of us, this is a VERY good thing as it provides our muscles with the oxygen they need to be healthy. Due to the changes in blood pressure that can occur during and after a session of massage therapy, however, those with uncontrolled high or low blood pressure should avoid massage therapy unless they have received permission from their physician. In fact, there are studies that show the lighter forms of massage can aid in reducing hypertension in many cases.

In addition to the immediate effects on blood pressure, massage can help reduce the effects of stress on the body.  Our autonomic nervous system has two “states of being”, fight-or-flight (sympathetic nervous system) and rest-and-digest (parasympathetic nervous system).  The sympathetic nervous system helps mobilize the body for action when we are faced with a stressful situation.  Very often, the daily stresses of our lives, and sometimes our diet (especially excessive amounts of caffeine) cause us to stay in this fight-or-flight state, which has a negative effect on our bodies including increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol.  Massage therapy can help the Autonomic Nervous System shift into the rest-and-digest state.  Many studies have shown not only decreased heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels, but also decreases in depression, hostility and anxiety.

By taking steps to reduce the effects of stress on your body, you can do your heart a world of good.  Remember the old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” and be proactive about your health.  Eat right, move your body, do everything you can to keep stress at bay and have a happy American Heart Month.

Yours In Health,

Ashley Wilson
NMT, LMT
~Inspire Someone!
January ‘09

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