Massages and Your Brain

You’ve probably heard of the many benefits a massage can bring to your body. Massages have been proven to be beneficial for reducing stress, aches, muscle strains and even post workout inflammation. However, very few people know the impact massage has on the human brain. In this piece, we’ll explore the relationship between a massage and your brain.

The Brain, Neurotransmitters and Massage

The emotion you’re feeling right now, whether good or bad, is directly a result of neurotransmitter activities in your brain. Neurotransmitters are basically the chemical messengers of the brain. These messengers are responsible for carrying, boosting, and balancing signals between your nerve cells and other cells in the body.

The human brain possesses billions of neurotransmitters that are constantly working to keep the brain functioning by managing everything from breathing to learning a language. Some well-known types of neurotransmitters include Dopamine and Serotonin.

A paper published in the International Journal of Neuroscience showed that the stress hormone known as Cortisol decreased significantly following a massage therapy. The research which reviewed studies on depression, pain syndrome, auto-immune conditions, stress on the job, the stress of aging, and pregnancy stress revealed that Cortisol levels decreased as much as 31% following a massage.

Massage therapies not only reduces Cortisol, it also increases serotonin and dopamine; the body’s feel-good chemicals. Seratonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, hunger, and sleep and a general sense of well-being. The production of serotonin during massage sessions is one of the reasons you feel relaxed and sleepy during a massage session.

Another neurotransmitter known as Dopamine is also increased during massage. Dopamine also known as “The Molecule of Happiness,” is very popular for its powerful functions. Whenever you’re experiencing feelings of love, sexiness, femininity/masculinity, lust or have cravings, dopamine is at work in your brain. Even the simplest form of massage triggers an increase in dopamine production. This results in increased attention, motivation and pleasure; basically, all you need to get through your day!

The relationship between massages and your brain can simply be described as a love affair. The increase in the production of neurotransmitters as a result of massage produces other great health benefits including improved sleep, reduced anxiety, alleviated depression, mood Improvement, reduced stress levels and improved blood pressure.

However, studies have shown that the only way to unlock the optimum benefits of massage is by receiving one from an expert. Different types of massages produce different results. For instance, the Swedish massage therapy, which involves the use of long, smooth strokes and kneading of tight muscles, using essential oils, help promote deep relaxation and mental health by altering the amount of pressure placed on different trigger points in the direction of blood flow.

Other massage types like deep tissue massage involve the use of firm pressure techniques and slow strokes to reach and loosen the deeper layers of the muscles. The deep tissue massage stimulates receptors to different areas of the human brain. This massage is popular for reliving psychological stress and promoting body healing.

Massage experts are trained to determine what type of massage is most beneficial for you. Whether you’re an athlete or stay at home mum, the benefits of regular massage therapy is simply invaluable! At Sunrinity, we recognize how much massages facilitate brain function. We work with professionals to offer various massage types including Deep tissue massage, Swedish Massage, Sports massage, Craniosacral and so much more! Get in touch today to discuss your needs with one of our professionals.