Getting a massage is one of the best ways to relax after a long week; however, what many people may not realize is that massage therapy is also an effective non-medicinal treatment for pain.
Regular visits to massage therapy salons are a great choice for anyone dealing with chronic pain.
The science behind pain, and how the body reacts to it, backs that claim up with proof.
Understanding the Cycle of Pain
The cycle of pain in the body is a complicated one, especially in cases of chronic pain due to illness, injury, medical treatments, and others.
Pain causes elevated levels of stress in the body, which results in elevated cortisol levels, tighter muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and other symptoms as the body remains in a constant state of fighting off whatever the pain-causing problem is.
Over time, this can result in a lack of mobility and flexibility as well as overall fatigue, side effects of the body trying to protect itself that ironically results in - more pain.
How to Break the Cycle of Pain
Breaking the cycle to give everything a rest is the goal of pain relief.
Pain medication that dulls certain reactions in the body is one way to do it; however, for those who wish to avoid pain meds as much as possible, massage therapy is another great option.
Proven to be effective, massage works by stopping or slowing the pain cycle, giving the body a chance to rest and heal and catch up with itself.
How Does It Happen?
Massage therapy works by loosening tight muscles, promoting blood and oxygen flow, and restoring flexibility and mobility again.
Additionally, massage is proven to reduce the release of cortisol, the hormone that holds the body in its “fight or flight” condition, while promoting the release of serotonin and dopamine, two feel-good hormones that create soothing calmness in the body.
This positive effect on the body’s hormones, combined with the loosening of tight muscles, reduces stress overall and interferes with the pain cycle, allowing the body to recover, rather than continue hurting.
Let Massage Help Deal With Your Pain
Chronic pain can be awful to deal with, especially for those who do not like to rely on medication to relieve it.
Massage therapy salons with well-trained therapists offer a natural and equally effective alternative to pain medication.
Using different techniques like Swedish, trigger point, hot stone massage, and others, comfort may be right around the corner.
A regular schedule of massage can give chronic sufferers a new outlook on healing and on living life to the fullest again.