Pain is a signal in our nervous system that lets us know something is wrong. It can be a sharp or dull feeling and may last for hours, days, weeks, or months. Therapeutic massage reduces pain through several mechanisms. One theory is that rubbing a painful area stimulates competing nerve fibers and blocks the slower thin pain messages.
Increased Circulation
Tight muscles, inflamed joints, and tense tendons can cause pain. The good news is that regular massage can break the stress and pain cycle, ease pain and prevent injury. One of the main reasons motion massage can reduce pain is that it increases circulation. It increases the movement of toxins and waste from your tissues and helps the lymphatic system drain away any accumulated debris, which can contribute to muscle tightness, fatigue, and pain. Massage also stimulates the body’s production of “feel-good” endorphins and lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can all help ease the pain. This can also help keep your immune system healthy and robust to fight inflammation. Researchers have found that massage can also close the ‘pain gate,’ inhibiting pain signals from reaching your brain. This mechanism is based on the theory that massage can stimulate competing nerve fibers, forcing them to take priority and disrupt or block pain messages.
Increased Mobility
Tight muscles restrict movement; this can cause poor biomechanics that contributes to pain. Massage can help to interrupt the pain cycle by reducing muscle tightness and improving mobility. Tissue elasticity increases when the soft tissues’ temperature increases during a massage. This helps increase flexibility and breaks down adhesions. In addition, researchers have found that a neurotransmitter called ‘substance P’ is reduced during massage. Substance P is involved in sensory and nociception pathways, which indicates that massage reduces pain. Many scientists believe that massage can close the gate, which blocks pain signals from reaching the brain. The theory is that the slow, thin nerves that send pain signals to the brain are stimulated during a massage. This causes another sensation, like a good feeling, to take priority over the painful ones and block or disrupt them (close the gate). This results in less pain being felt. It also makes the pain less frequent and more tolerable.
Reduced Stress
Massage is a great way to reduce stress. Increased stress levels often cause pain experienced by individuals with chronic conditions. Stress can cause the body to tighten and restrict movement, increasing pain and negatively affecting sleep patterns. During a massage, an individual can experience the release of feel-good hormones such as endorphins, which help mask the pain sensation. A massage causes the muscles to increase their temperature through the friction between the fingers and the skin, stimulating blood flow. This increase in temperature allows the elasticity of muscles to expand and relax, which decreases pain. In addition, massages encourage descending inhibition, an inhibitory pathway that helps reduce pain sensitivity and perception. This is important because new considerations of pain acknowledge that pain is not only a physical sensation but is influenced by biological, psychological, and social (BPS) factors.
Increased Self-Awareness
Pain is a complex experience influenced by various biological, psychological, and social factors. Massage helps to enhance the mind-body connection and reduce the stress, anxiety, and depression that often accompanies chronic pain. Massage increases the body’s production of oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins – hormones that boost mood and act as natural painkillers. These hormones help reduce pain by blocking receptors in the brain that detect chemical and mechanical stimuli associated with pain.