Linda's Favorite Links:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.linkedin.com/in/lindamaureensanchescmt"" 

 

 

 

 

 

 "The simple act of activating the parasympathetic nervous system has profound effects on other systems of the body. And by activating this system, massage provides a host of medical benefits. But, perhaps, the best benefit of massage is that it just feels good. Done properly massage renews the body and soul almost like hitting a reset button. Muscles are restored, as closely as possible, to their "factory state" and there is this profound feeling of calm, clarity and well being that can last for hours, or even days. And these effects are cumulative so the more regular your massage routine, the longer these benefits last." from: eHow.com

 

 

Massage and the Nervous System

 

The autonomic system is part of the peripheral nervous system and is split into two parts: sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic branch controls the stress response (or fight or flight response). During the stress response, blood vessels constrict, breathing becomes faster and more shallow, blood pressure rises, pupils constrict, the digesting system shuts down and muscles tighten, all in preparation for sudden bursts of movement. The parasympathetic branch controls in the exact opposite of the sympathetic branch and controls the relaxation response. During the relaxation response blood vessels expand, breathing slows and deepens, blood pressure lowers, pupils dilate, the digestive system activates and muscles relax.

Now that we know how massage initiates the relaxation response, let's examine how activating the parasympathetic response paves the way for other benefits such as lowered blood pressure, improved oxygen transfer and improved muscle nutrition and waste removal.

By activating the parasympathetic response, massage slows and deepens the breath, which allows more oxygen to be absorbed into the blood and encourages the release of more CO2 . Slower, deeper breathing also slows heart rate because the same volume of blood has more oxygen so the heart doesn't have to work as hard to meet the body's oxygen demands. Improved Muscle Nutrition and Waste Removal. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the organs and muscles. It also carries away the waste products of metabolism to be filtered through the liver, kidneys and lungs. So slowing breathing, increasing the volume of oxygen and relaxing and expanding blood vessels all help increase the amount and rate at which nutrients feed muscles and organs.

Activating the parasympathetic systems also relaxes the skeletal muscles, which further increases blood flow. Skeletal muscles have a rich blood supply, with millions of vessels. When under stress, the muscles contract which further constricts blood flow. Muscle is also very active tissue, and that uses a lot of oxygen and nutrients and produces a lot of waste products, even at rest. Relaxing the muscles allows blood to flow more freely within the muscle tissue which delivers more valuable nutrients and flushes out those waste products. This helps the muscles work more efficiently and is especially helpful when recovering from injury.

 

The Best Benefit of All: The simple act of activating the parasympathetic nervous system has profound effects on other systems of the body. And by activating this system, massage provides a host of medical benefits. But, perhaps, the best benefit of massage is that it just feels good. Done properly massage renews the body and soul almost like hitting a reset button. Muscles are restored, as closely as possible, to their "factory state" and there is this profound feeling of calm, clarity and well being that can last for hours, or even days.And these effects are cumulative so the more regular your massage routine, the longer these benefits last.