Can Massage Help Anxiety 

Feeling overwhelmed and stressed is one of the top reasons clients seek out massage therapy as a part of their overall self care routine. But can massage help anxiety? Yes it can help manage your anxiety symptoms, however keep in mind it’s not a cure. Our modern lives can put a lot of added stress to our plates. We live in a time where communication is constant with email, text messages and social media on our phones. For most people this overloads the nervous system. With modern technology lots of people don’t actually get a break from work. I’ve had clients do work meetings while getting a massage. Many of us feel this constant pull to always perform at a high level. At some point the body and mind just can not handle that constant nervous system overload. The body does start to give you signs it’s feeling too over stimulated. Here are some of the common signs

• Not sleeping
• Teeth grinding
• Nightmares 
• Binge eating and or drinking 

Massage therapy is here to be a supportive tool to help you function. One of the biggest ways massage helps many people overall feel better is to turn down the volume on the nerves. The constant compression and movement over the skin gives you a nice nervous system reboot. 

What stress and anxiety do to the body

What is the fight or flight response? It’s your body's automatic survival reaction to perceived threats, controlled by the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), a branch of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). This system is crucial for survival in acute danger, but when it's activated too often by chronic stress, it can negatively impact health, leading to issues like anxiety, fatigue, or depression. When I was in massage school (2000) we learned about cellular memory. Meaning the body holds on to everything we experience in life in all our cells. And negative life experiences show up as illness. At the time that was considered  a wild and crazy idea! Now the scientific community calls it neuroplasticity. Long time chronic negative stress does change how the nerves function in the brain. 

People's shoulders get tight. The shoulders are next to their ears and the neck barely moves. This leads to tension headaches and very short shallow breaths. Digestion is also super sensitive to too much chronic stress. Gas, bloating and IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome). And from my own personal experience I developed alopecia areata. 

How massage effects the nervous system

Massage turns on the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the rest and digest response. Massage helps clients get in tune with deep breathing. Most people do not even realize how their breathing even changes as soon as the massage starts. Many people take big deep inhales and exhales without even thinking. With those slower deeper breaths comes a lower heart rate. 2 automatic responses that help to lower anxious feelings. Part of massage school training to learn how to make a safe grounding space for clients. Sheets, blankets and music choices are important. Even the therapists speech patterns and how they hold posture send signals to the clients nervous system, this is a safe calm environment. 

Benefits of massage for stress and anxiety 

Let's go over how massage can help anxiety. The act of touch helps with chronic muscle tension. The slow gentle movements along with compression down regulates the nerves. Massage brings more blood flow to the soft tissue and brain giving a calming effect. And helps to improve sleep quality. Many people are sleepy after a massage. This is because the increase of oxygen has a sedative effect. The mind gets a chance to turn down. The use of essential oils and calming music helps slow down racing thoughts. Massage helps to bring body awareness. Many people are not aware how their body feels. A lot of people don’t even realize how tight their upper back is causing tension headaches.  

People that are prone to anxiety can keep their symptoms in check with regular massages. Each session builds on each other. By helping to prevent chronic tension patterns in the muscles. The tighter your muscles get. 

Types of massage that help with stress and anxiety 

Here are my suggestions of the types of massages clients can try 

• Swedish Massage

This is a general full body. Lots of long broad strokes that helps to calm down the mind

• Manual Lymphatic Drainage

This works by manually moving the extra fluid through the circulatory system. Super light touch. To learn more check out my Vodder Technique post  

• Cranio Sacral Therapy

Also light and gentle work. Done fully clothed. CST works by finding  blocks in the connection in the spine and brain. Check out this Cranio Sacral Therapy page to learn more.

How often should you get a massage for stress relief

Clients always ask how often they should get a massage. Let me go over some general guidelines. If your stress levels are extra high due to personal and or work demands. To help you get through that challenging season. I suggest weekly or biweekly massages. 

If you are just experiencing your normal level of stress. Maintenance massage sessions are every 3 to 4 weeks. What’s most important is staying consistent with your massages and building them into your regular routine.  And when stress gets extra high, book your massages more often. You can learn more about How Often To Get A Massage in this article I wrote.

What to expect during a massage for stress and anxiety 

For a first time client. There is a written health history form we go over together. I like to know about your experiences with massage therapy. And I also go over why you are coming in for a massage. It is important to me that you have a pleasant massage experience. During the session it is important that if you are not comfortant about the temperature, pressure and music choice you let me know. All those things can be easily adjusted. Most people hold their stress in the neck, shoulders, jaw and back. I can pay a lot of attention to those areas. If you are looking for a general full body Swedish massage just let me know during the beginning of the session, so I can get the timing of the massage correctly.  After a massage it is normal to feel extra sleepy and calm. 

Self care habits that enhance massage benefits 

• Hydration
• Gentle movement
• Breathing exercises
• Adequate sleep 
• Limiting overstimulation after a massage

FAQ

Beating the effects of burn out

Beating burn out is something many of us have to learn how to manage on a daily basis. Otherwise we may find ourselves spending some time in the state hospital. The way many of us are so connected these days because of your smart phones it is so hard to disconnect from the world and just chill. Some people can’t even leave their work at work and that isn't a mentally healthy way to live. It is only a matter of time before you physically and emotionally crack. But there are ways to avoid this burn out.

The biggest challenge I see many people face is setting boundaries. Having clear lines in the sand makes everyone happy campers. People do like to know where the stopping point is. But it is up to you to set that tone. If you need to, put it in writing. Especially when it comes to your job. Let your boss know these are the hours I am willing to work. And when you are off the clock you are done for the day. Emails, text messages, and phone calls will be returned during your working hours.

Make sure you have a downtime routine and stick with it! This also comes back to setting those boundaries again. It is so important that we take time to recharge those batteries. Here are some examples of stress relieving activities that can help with burn out. 

• Friday night Epsom salt bath with essential oils  
• Morning or night meditation, about 15 minutes
• Using a foam roller on your back daily
• Connect with nature
• Mindless tv

This is really just a short list of suggestions, but I think you get the idea.

The hardest thing to control is all those Negative Nancy’s in the world. People can be so nasty, especially online. But the great thing is you can block, unfriend, and leave the group. It’s is important that we do as much as we can to only see, hear and read positive messages. You want to be filling your mind and soul with happy thoughts. Negative messages online can really put your mind in such a bad place. Find people to follow that are uplifting and share all the beauty and happiness in this world. You can find a lot of online communities that give such wonderful support and are that to see you succeed.

Massage therapy overall is an excellent supportive wellness tool. It helps clients to learn how to listen to their bodies. If you are feeling overwhelmed and looking for natural ways to support your nervous system, massage therapy can help. If you are interested in booking a massage you can BOOK ONLINE. 

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