
Did you know that Massage Therapy can help ease anxiety and stress? A massage decreases the stress chemicals in our body called cortisol and increases activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, which acts automatically to calm the body and brain during stress. A massage can alter the EEG activity in the brain.
According to James Lake, MD, numerous studies show that moderate pressure massage is more effective than light pressure massage for reducing pain associated with different medical problems including fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. Moderate pressure massage also improves attention and enhances the body's immune response by increasing the activity of natural killer cells. Functional brain imaging studies show that changes take place in many areas of the brain involved in regulating emotions and stress response including the amygdala and the hypothalamus.
Receiving regular massage treatments can reduce the severity of chronic moderate anxiety in general, and specifically when anxiety is related to test-taking or problem-solving, work stress or the anticipation of invasive medical procedures. Regular massage also improves emotional resilience and enhances feelings of general well-being in anxious clients.
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