Your Brain on Massage

Many of us get massage therapy to help relieve chronic pain conditions such as back and neck pain, headaches, carpal tunnel, or sciatica. The pain-relieving benefits of massage therapy are undeniable and most of our clients manage their pain successfully with regular massage as part of a healthy lifestyle. An added benefit of regular massage therapy is how it affects our brain. Brain awareness week kicks off on March 11th and I wanted to take some time to share some of the wonderful benefits of regular massage to your brain! Modern-day lifestyles can be detrimental to brain health. Too much screen time and social media, high levels of cortisol from living busy lifestyles, and low levels of healthy, nurturing touch between humans are all factors in less than optimum brain health. Research done by Tiffany Fields Ph.D. at the Touch Research Institute indicates massage therapy supports brain health. Regular massage can stimulate brain function, reduce depression and anxiety, and keep stress levels down. The Touch Research Institute in Florida provides many studies that confirm this. http://pediatrics.med.miami.edu/touch-research During a massage, your therapist applies pressure to the muscles, that stimulates receptors in the brain. This stimulates the production of “feel-good” neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Trigger point therapy (applying pressure to tender muscle tissue to relieve pain and dysfunction) has been proven to release our body’s natural pain-relieving compounds: endorphins. People react to massage with such an increased sense of well being that hospitals are starting to offer it to their patients!

At Mindful Touch, we support you in your wellness journey by providing you with a serene experience from the moment you enter our healing sanctuary. We offer an escape from the stress of modern-day life and seek to give your nervous system a complete reboot through healing, pain-relieving therapeutic massage and bodywork. We use aromatherapy, body scrubs, and other enhancements to engage all your senses and bring you a heightened bodywork experience that engages all your senses. We believe massage therapy helps facilitate your highest level of well being and helps you live your most harmonious life. I encourage you to visit our healing sanctuary and experience a therapeutic massage with one of our compassionate and highly skilled massage therapists. I guarantee you will feel amazing afterward, and the benefits to your brain health will be well worth the investment. In Peace & Health, Nikki