SOCIAL (UN)DISTANCING WITH MASSAGE

Getting acquainted or re-acquainted with massage

 

Welcome to my blog! Being a licensed massage therapist for more than 22 years and teaching massage for more than 20 years has given me a unique perspective regarding health and wellness. I have had the good fortune of cultivating a client base who trust me to help them maintaining their health. 

So why now? Why start a blog about being touched by another when social distancing is the norm and wearing masks in full vogue? Oddly enough, I believe that our isolation from each other over the last seven months has created a need for socialization more than ever and what better way to re-establish social acceptance than meeting a friend for coffee, going to restaurant, or receive bodywork? Wait, massage requires touching, isn't that taboo? That depends on your perspective.

Benefits

Research suggests there are a plethora of benefits that massage therapy offers, here are just a few:

• Bolstering the immune system
• Increase relaxation and decrease anxiety
• Decreases heart rate and blood pressure
• Decreasing pain and activating the parasympathetic nervous system 
• Reducing headaches, neck pain, and back pain

Let's look at the first one. Considering the current environment of hand sanitizing, social distancing, and mask-wearing, it wouldn't hurt to boost your immune system as well. Studies indicate that massage increases killer-T cell (lymphocyte) levels that boost immune responses. Another aspect that goes hand-in -hand with this is the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. What's that? It is the chill mode essentially, where most body systems slow down except digestion. Why is this important? Well, it means you are not running in the sympathetic nervous system, the fright, flight, or fight response. Here, your body is releasing stress hormones such as cortisol. How many of us are operating in this mode more often than not? Studies have shown decreases in cortisol after receiving massage. 

"Research suggests there are a plethora of benefits that massage massage therapy offers"

Most of my clients come in for stress reduction and reducing muscle aches and pains. Studies have suggested that massage helps reduce myofascial pain and increase range of motion (ROM) of our joints. Massage has been shown to have an effect on trigger points. Applying static pressure over trigger points activated the parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation mode) and had an influence on heart rate. Headaches were reduced when trigger points were treated with massage as well as back and neck pain. How many people are working from home in make-shift offices or parents teaching their kids in the classroom that was once the dining room? Are you going to tell me there is no neck or back pain out there? Of course there is. 

"Headaches were reduced when trigger points were treated with massage as well as back and neck pain."

 Why not explore an option to remedy the situation? If you have an issue with your tissues, perhaps the skillful application of manual techniques to reduce tension in your muscles is what is in order. I was posed with the question asking who would opt for getting a massage in the current environment? Massage is optional. With respect to this statement I would say that exercise is an option too, as is maintaining a healthy diet low in fat, sodium, and sugar. There are plenty of options in life. Why not choose those that can improve your health?

The bottom line is, I am not in the convincing business, merely the information-dispensing business. I respect everyone's position on staying COVID-free. But if you are interested, be a lurker, better yet, ask me a question about massage. No question is a silly one. Massage involves one person allowing another into their most personal space, you should be comfortable with that choice. 

Chuck Geraci, LMT

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