Massage Therapy for Anxiety

Massage Therapy for Anxiety:

Why Massage Therapy for anxiety? Massage Therapy has been shown to alleviate many emotional and psychological conditions. Anxiety is often linked to depression, Post Traumatic Stress, physical trauma, or other conditions such as past history of substance abuse.

Chronic anxiety is also a classic symptom of Fibromyalgia (see that page). Patterns of Chronic muscle pain create more anxiety over time, which of course, causes a "snowball effect".The result is even more pain, as the Sympathetic nervous system is constantly in a reaction/defense mode. Tense muscles, clenched jaw, constant vigilance...

We may feel inadequate as we carry this burden of pain, and thus be judged harshly by others. Of course, that creates instant anxiety.

It is hard to concentrate at work or at daily tasks. Sometimes, because we are in so much pain, we cannot motivate ourselves to even do household chores on time, and things begin to fall apart.

This, of course, leads to more anxiety when we snap out of a depressive state and try to rescue ourselves and attempt fix all the damage at the last minute.

There are two important modes in the central nervous system. When the body is in stress mode, the sympathetic nervous system is activated. This part of the nervous system regulates the "fight or flight" response.

Typically, postural patterns include shortened posture, shallower breathing, "hunching" of the shoulders closer to the ears, and generally more erratic movement patterns, with less grounded intention.

We may try to compensate for the listlessness and doldrums with caffeine during the day, then alcohol or sedatives to calm ourselves in the evening.

The alcohol further complicates matters during sleep, as it causes a spike in adrenalin. This is why many people fall asleep, but may "bolt awake" later on, as the adrenalin shift occurs.

There is also a raise in blood sugar in the process, as alcohol also breaks down initially into sugar in the liver. So we are now awake, and wandering around the house, getting anxious over why we cannot sleep.

Because we haven't achieved a good night's sleep, we may awake in the morning feeling anxious about that, even before the day has begun. The heart may be racing even as we lie there motionless.

Thus, another vicious cycle has begun, and we anticipate more pain and suffering before the day has even started. Projecting the worst yet to come increases throughout the day.

So why explore Massage Therapy for anxiety? Simply, massage Therapy for anxiety will stimulate the other part of the nervous system, called the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the part of the nervous system that regulates rest, slows heart rate, and begins the digestive processes, (which work far more efficiently when the body is at rest!). Things begin to slow down, the brain waves patterns change, and sleep is around the bend.

This is why, when some clients come for a session of Massage Therapy for anxiety, they sometimes almost fall asleep on the table, even though they came into the session in an emotionally charged state!

The process can happen within an hour's session, the transformation is that powerful. I am constantly amazed by this.

I receive frequent inquiries on what types of physical conditions Massage Therapy for anxiety can alleviate. Indeed, There are many. the Emotional connection, however, is a large part of this work, which is why many people will prefer massage therapy over other traditional medical apporoches.

This is why many hospitals are now beginning to once again recognize massage therapy for anxiety, as it used to be utilized frequently around the turn of the century, but began to wane in the 1950's. Having a trusting bond with the therapist is key here, as there is a lot of energetic exchange during sessions.

But massage, along with other modalities, like yoga, meditation, proper exercise, sleep, and maybe some peer counseling can often get results far beyond that commonly found in a prescription bottle. Medications do have merit, but many have found less reliance on them after a session or two.

Interesting sidenote: many naturopaths are using increased magnesium supplemetation to ease muscle pain and anxiety. They have even found that "panic attacks", where the patient feels tightness in the chest, are greatly alleviated. following this up with massage for anxiety increases the results. I do not prescribe supplements, but I found this very interesting, as Magnesium is a critical mineral for muscle relaxation, while Calcium is critical for muscle contraction.

The two minerals work in harmony in the muscle. This is why Epsom Salt works so well for tight muscles in a hot bath. It is Magnesium sulfate. There are other forms, the best type in supplement form is magnesium oxide, a notch better than magnesium chloride.

The body cannot store magnesium, and statistics show that very few Americans get enough in their diet, as it is found in, guess what? green vegetables!

peace out,

Rob

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