Emma Bolongaro, Registered Massage Therapist at Shoreham Osteopathy Centre, explores the power of touch and therapeutic massage.
From the earliest days of humankind, when one person reached out to soothe another, we have known that safe and welcomed physical contact is good for us. Touch is a basic human need. We need it to thrive and promote good health and happiness. Since March 2020, almost the whole human population has been, to some extent, deprived of that most basic of human needs.
A wealth of research has demonstrated that touch is truly fundamental to human communication, bonding, health and wellbeing. More than that, as physical health and mental health are deeply interrelated, the right kind of safe, comforting touch can have a profound effect on mental health too. Think of the hugs we’ve all missed!
Associated with this, is the fact that when your body is relieved of pain, such as through a relaxing massage, your mind adopts a sense of calm. This is where oxytocin, a ‘feel good’ hormone, comes into play. It is released into the bloodstream when the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems are brought into balance through deep relaxation.
Therapeutic massage can be a powerful tool to help us take charge of our health, wellbeing and healing. It used to be regarded as a luxury treatment in spas and upscale health lubs, but today massage therapy is offered more widely, at places of work, hospitals, clinics and even airports. Thankfully it is now becoming seen as more of a necessity to aid wellbeing and a good healthy lifestyle through more body awareness.
Research shows massage can
- Reducing stress, muscle pain and tension
- Increase relaxation
- Improve circulation, energy and alertness
- Lower heart rate and blood pressure
- Improving immune function and lymphatic flow,
- Assist muscular repair and recovery
There is also some evidence that massage can help with: Anxiety, Digestive disorders, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, Insomnia related to stress, Myofascial pain syndrome.
Essentially, therapeutic massage brings us back to our self, provides “self-connection”, a time when we can be silent if we like, get lost in our thoughts, slow those thoughts down, breathe deeply and enjoy the wonders of human touch.
For more information, please contact Emma (Deep Kneads Therapeutic Massage) or the team at SOC, www.shorehamosteo.co.uk, 01273 567654
01273 567654