Just like with us humans, massage can have a number of positive benefits.
* It can reduce stress and anxiety by activating sensory nerves in a soothing way and thus engaging the parasympathetic nervous system.
* It increases the circulation of blood which aids in recovery through increased nutrition and oxygen.
* Massage will also aid in the movement of the tissue fluid or lymphatic fluid back into the circulatory system following an injury that can cause fluid to leak out of the blood vessels and into the tissue spaces.
* One we are all familiar with if you have ever had a massage yourself is the reduction of muscle spasm which can aid in the recovery from intense exercise through the increased circulation and removal of waste materials. It also increases the elasticity of muscles and can stop the formation of fibrous adhesions (scar tissue) between muscle and fascia, it can also break down these adhesions once formed.
* What you might not know is that massage is a great natural pain reliever. The technical explanation is that massage stimulates A delta fibres in the skin which gives pain relief through the pain gate mechanism. The A delta fibres are faster acting than the C fibres (those responsible for carrying information related to pain, temperature and itch), therefore can 'close the gate' to pain.
