Effects of massage

The effects of massage
The body is such an amazing thing! It is divided up in to so many different sections each part with a different role. You can almost relate it to a robot with the heart being a mega everlasting battery and the brain being the best computer ever designed.
The brain has all these automatic settings that are used to make life alot easier for the human. The proper name for this automatic setting is called the autonomic nervous system and it “consist of the peripheral nerves involved in regulating cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, and other automatic body functions.” (Fritz 2003)
Effects of massage on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) are very wide spread and there have been many case studies to prove this. Massage has been noted to be very beneficial to helping bloody flow and helping circulation. So when enhancing blood flow you can’t help but do alot of good for the heart! Massage has been shown to reduce the heart rate for up to 40 min after the massage through triggering the relaxation response. (Salvo 2003) naturally if you lower the heart rate then a person’s pulse rate will also drop.
Staying on the heart massage has been shown to increase stroke volume; stroke volume is the amount of blood pushed through the left ventricle after each contraction of the heart. (Salvo 2003).
Most Likely one of the biggest reasons for massage is for stress relief, Massage aids with this by activating the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) (salvo 2003).
The main massage technique used has been the Swedish massage and these are some of the strokes that have been used and the effects that they can have on the body.
At the start of the massage touch and holding is used, this is used to give the client time to adjust to the initial contact it also reduces sympathetic activation and allows the body to integrate sensory input of the massage.
Pettrissage is the next stroke that would be used effects of this would be...
- It lifts the tissue up.
- Apply bend and shear forces twisting movements act to break facial adhesions.
- When squeezing the skin it produces a pumping action to move fluids.

Effleurage is the next stroke used, throughout the massage this stroke is used for many different reasons effects can be...
- Spreads the massage lubricant.
- Warms up body tissues to prepare for deeper work.
- When used in a good rhythm it activates (PNS) relaxation response.
- When used lightly towards the heart it aids in lymphatic return.
- Deeper applications stretching tissues causing reflexive relaxation.
Tapotment is the next stroke used, Tapotment is used to gain all different kinds of results, effects can be...
- Stimulates the nervous activity and increases sympathetic activity.
- When light Tapotment is used on the skin the effects can be muscular contraction and dilation of blood vessels.
- Deep Tapotment can again aid in dilation of blood vessels and initial muscle contraction, after some time of this the relaxation of the muscles can be felt.
- Cupping on the back (only the top) stimulates the respiratory system and actually loosens mucous up.
(Felicity Molloy hand out 2009)

Massage can have all kinds of different effects on different people, just because it happened for one person it doesn’t mean it could for you.

References
Molloy, F. hand out – Effects of massage strokes 2009
Fritz, S. Mosby’s fundamentals of therapeutic massage 2003 (3rd Ed.).
Salvo, S. Effects of massage on the cardio-respiratory system 2003 (3rd Ed)

Brad Loney