If you’ve been suffering from aches and pains of any kind and struggling to find relief, your level of frustration can be unbearable. When pills and creams and other common solutions fail you, it can sometimes seem as though there is no escape from your discomfort. So, what are you supposed to do – simply endure the pain and hope that it goes away? Thankfully, there are other options! For example, a massage in Fort Lauderdale might be just the thing you need to deal with your discomfort.
There are a lot of different beliefs about why massage works to relieve pain. We know from studies, actual observation, and patient feedback that massage techniques help to reduce stress by relaxing both the mind and the body. That naturally leads to a reduction in the adrenal hormone cortisol. There has even been some scientific evidence that suggests that massage can create an increase in endorphins.
Endorphins are those “feel good” hormones that your body releases as a response to pain, during sex, exercise, and other activities that cause either stress or excitement. Often compared to opiates in their effects, these hormones have the ability to provide a rush similar to that felt when you receive an injection of morphine. They’re designed to help the body cope with stress and pain and generally have a short-term impact on how you feel.
So how does this translate to massage, you might ask? Well, the first thing to understand is that the sense of touch can actually stimulate the release of those endorphins. Since there are literally million of touch receptors in the cells of the skin, we’re particularly sensitive to physical touch and especially the type of ordered and methodical touching involved in massage.
More than that, however, massage has been consistently demonstrated to reduce stress. There are scientific studies confirming that massage therapy has an immediate impact in the areas of reducing anxiety, relieving stressful tension, and sharply reducing cortisol. Since both cortisol and endorphins are released during times of stress – including periods of intense pain – any reduction in those cortisol levels can help to heighten the effects of those endorphins.
Of course, there are those who say that there hasn’t been the kind of conclusive evidence of massage’s impact on endorphin levels needed to draw firm conclusions. However, the evidence that we do have strongly suggests that linkage. More importantly, massage clients know exactly how their massages make them feel – and in the end, that is really all that matters, right?
So, whether you come down on the side that believes that massage increases endorphin levels or not, the fact remains that you know just how effective these therapies are for relieving stress and reducing your pain. And if you’ve ever been a client at Tiffany Beauty Spa, then you also know that we offer the best massage in Fort Lauderdale. Come in and see us and together we’ll see just how effective massage can be at relieving your pain!
