Massage for Pain Control:

* Massage is an effective technique for controlling pain. How does it work? There are numbers of ways massage may help in controlling pain.

Massage confuses the body’s pain signals:

* Rubbing may interfere with pain signal’s pathways to your brain, a process called the “gate control theory”, according to experts. Pain impulses run toward the spinal cord, go up the cord and enter the brain. These impulse are perceived as pain. When you rub, it sends other impulses along the same nerves. When all these impulses try to reach the brain through the nerves, the nerves get clogged like a highway during morning rush hour. The results? Most of them won’t reach the brain. And if the pain signals do not reach the brain, you won’t feel pain. Thus massage works by “closing the gate” that pain impulses have to pass thorough.

Massage also calls up the body’s natural pain killers:

* Rubbing stimulates the release of endorphins (morphine-like substances) that the body manufactures, into the brain and nervous system.

Massage provides deep relaxation:

* It relieves muscle tension, spasm, and stiffness. All of these contribute to pain. Experts suggest that tense  muscles are usually deprived of oxygen because the tightness reduces blood circulation to the area. Massage improves blood circulation. The muscles then relax, and pain decreases.

Massage relieves mental stress and anxiety:

* Massage is providing the benefit by the therapeutic value of touching that helps a person in pain. Research shows that even touch lasting for less than 1 second has the ability to make people feel better. Obviously, the touch provided by massage has makes you feel good!

What Types of Pain Can Massage Help?

* Massage can help any pain originating from muscle tension: for example - head, back, neck, and shoulder pain can benefit from massage. Releasing tightness and tension in muscles is the most obvious effect of a good massage.