Massage Therapy Tulsa can be used to treat a variety of health problems. It can reduce back pain, ease depression and anxiety, and even promote healing after surgery or cancer treatments.

Massage may help to relieve pain by a number of mechanisms, including relaxing painful muscles and tendons; stimulating competing nerve fibers to block pain signals; and triggering the release of endorphins and other natural pain-killing substances.

Stress is a physiological response to situations that cause our body and mind to feel overwhelmed. It can be caused by anything from a bad day at work to chronic illness and disease. Unfortunately, high levels of stress can increase pain, especially in people with chronic conditions like fibromyalgia and cancer.

Massage therapy is known to decrease stress by lowering the heart rate and relaxing muscles and soft tissue in the body. It also stimulates the release of feel good hormones called endorphins, which calms the peripheral nervous system that is responsible for the communication relay between the brain and extremities. This allows for messages of calmness and relaxation to be sent out, thereby decreasing feelings of stress.

Additionally, massage can lower cortisol levels and increase the levels of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that stabilize moods. As a result, people who receive massages often experience less depression and anxiety.

Research shows that massages improve sleep quality. This is partly due to the fact that they can help reduce stress, which often leads to better sleep patterns. In addition, studies show that massages can decrease insomnia, a common symptom in people with a wide variety of health conditions.

In addition, massages are known to improve sleep quality by reducing the symptoms of chronic pain, such as muscle tension and headaches. They can also be helpful in alleviating sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, insomnia and restless leg syndrome. People who have a hard time falling asleep are also often helped by massages, as they can be calming and allow for the deep breathing that is needed to fall asleep. Massage therapy is also a great way to alleviate anxiety and depression, which can be caused by sleep problems.

Improves Sleep

While everyone has a sleepless night from time to time, chronic insomnia can lead to serious health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, says the Centers for Disease Control. Fortunately, massage therapy has been proven to improve sleeping patterns by lowering stress hormones and promoting relaxation.

A massage can increase the release of serotonin and melatonin, two hormones that help to reset the body’s circadian rhythm, which is essential for a good night’s sleep. In addition, a massage can reduce cortisol, which causes increased blood pressure, heart rate and the fight-or-flight reaction that keeps people awake.

In addition, a massage can ease the discomfort of restless legs syndrome, which is characterized by a tingling or creepy-crawly sensation in the feet and legs that makes it difficult to fall asleep. This condition is usually caused by tight muscles that are aggravated by anxiety or medication and can be relieved with massage therapy.

Even if you’re not dealing with any physical pain, a relaxing massage can still help you to sleep better. In fact, a recent study found that those who received a full-body Swedish massage experienced a 30 percent decrease in the stress hormone cortisol than those who didn’t get a massage.

The benefits of massage extend to all types of people, including children and the elderly. But, it’s important to consult with your doctor before you get a massage, especially if you have certain medical conditions, such as high blood pressure or cardiac problems. In addition, some massage modalities, such as deep tissue and sports, may not be appropriate for people with these conditions. However, if you’re struggling with sleep disorders or just need a good night’s rest, ask your local spa about the best type of massage to help you relax.

Relieves Muscle Tension

Massage decreases muscle tension by releasing endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. Additionally, it increases blood flow to the area which helps remove waste products and delivers oxygen and nutrients to the soft tissue. This helps to break down adhesions in the muscles which further decreases tension and tightness.

Another way massage relieves muscle tension is by increasing elasticity in the muscle tissue. Poor elasticity limits movement and can lead to injury. Massage therapy helps to increase muscle elasticity by relaxing the muscles, separating and loosening muscle fibres, and breaking down adhesions. It also promotes the proper alignment of muscle fibres which leads to improved flexibility.

Remedial massage uses techniques like deep tissue and trigger point to release knots in the muscles and soft tissues. This type of massage is often used for chronic pain and sports injuries. It may be a great option for people with chronic pain conditions and can help reduce the amount of medications needed to manage symptoms.

Popular massage styles such as Swedish and deep tissue improve circulation and flexibility while reducing stress. They also calm the nervous system and lower heart rate which helps reduce anxiety and depression. Massage stimulates the parasympathetic nerves which triggers the “rest and digest” response. This causes the heart rate to slow down, breathing to slow, and production of stress hormones to decrease.

Athletes use a variety of massage approaches to enhance performance. This includes pre-event preparation, post event recovery, injury prevention and rehabilitation. Sports massages focus on the muscle systems that are used for a specific sport, and they can include stretching and assisted stretching. It can also help athletes recover faster after exercise.

Reduces Inflammation

Many studies support the idea that massage lowers inflammation and increases circulation. This promotes healing and allows oxygen and nutrients to reach all of your muscles and cells. This also helps to reduce pain and stiffness.

The way that massage affects inflammatory signaling in the muscle depends on the type of manipulation and massage technique used. For example, a deep tissue massage uses slower strokes that target deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. This type of massage is often used to assist with the healing of sports injuries or chronic problems.

Another type of massage is called trigger point therapy. This focuses on tight, sensitive muscle fibers that create referred pain in specific muscle patterns. This massage can help to release these muscle fibers, which improves the range of motion and flexibility of your joints.

A study performed by researchers at McMaster University found that massage reduces the inflammatory response in skeletal muscle. The researchers used muscle biopsy to analyze the cellular responses of muscle tissue after massage. They found that massage reduced the activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis in the muscle cells.

One of the ways that massage reduces inflammation is by stimulating the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system flushes waste products and excess fluids from the muscle tissues, which reduces swelling and improves recovery from injury. A massage can stimulate this system through a variety of long, directional strokes that push the fluids and waste towards different glands for removal from the body.

Another way that massage can reduce inflammation is by decreasing oxidative stress and inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokines. The authors of the McMaster study suggest that identifying the specific cell-signaling pathways affected by massage will enhance our understanding of the proper clinical application of this treatment.

Relieves Pain

During massage, the skin and fingers create friction that encourages blood flow. This in turn, carries oxygen and nutrients to the area of muscle tissue that has been damaged or is sore. This can help reduce swelling and stiffness, and speed up the healing process.

In addition to its physical effects, massage can also decrease pain. It does this by interrupting or overwhelming the nerves that report pain in injured tissue, called nociceptors. The nociceptors send a signal to the brain that causes the body to experience discomfort, but a good massage therapist can also stimulate the nerves that block or inhibit these signals, called descending inhibitory pain fibers.

It has also been found that massage therapy lowers the stress hormone cortisol and increases serotonin, thereby reducing feelings of anxiety and depression. This may be due to the fact that massage triggers the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is responsible for calming the body after a stressful event.

Research has also shown that massage can increase the activity of cytokines, which are cells that help fight inflammation in the body. In addition, massage can improve lymphatic drainage by stimulating the lympathic vessels that transport waste products towards glands and nodes in the body.

As with any treatment, it is important to communicate with your massage therapist about the amount of pressure you prefer and your comfort level. If you feel that the massage is painful or uncomfortable, let your therapist know so that they can make adjustments. It is best to do this before the session begins, but you can also speak up during the massage if you feel that the pressure is too much.