Stress Busting: Your Massage Superpower

References

Ader R. Psychosomatic and psychoimmunologic research. Psychosomatic Medicine 42(3):307321. 1980. Asterita, Mary Frances. The physiology of stress: with special reference to the neuroendocrine system. Human Sciences Press, 1985. Barr, Jean Scott, and Norman Taslitz. “The Influence of Back Massage on Autonomic Functions.” Physical Therapy, vol. 50, no. 12, 1970, pp. 1679–1691., https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/50.12.1679. Benson H. The Relaxation […]

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The Power of Massage

We know that massage is relaxing. For us as massage therapists, it’s a given. But what we don’t recognize fully is the power of massage in reducing the harmful effects of stress. We know it makes people feel good and relieves tension, but we don’t always appreciate the unseen and profound effects it has on

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Relaxation Mechanisms

Now let’s examine the mechanisms that underly the relaxation response. Understanding these mechanisms will help inform the way we practice massage and ensure that we elicit a strong relaxation response in our clients.   Cognitive Diversion All relaxation techniques require some stimulus for the mind to focus on. This focus creates a relaxation effect through the

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Assessing Stress

The first step in treating the individual is assessing their current condition. A therapist must be able to recognize when stress is a key factor in the presenting symptoms of a client to determine whether relaxation and stress management is the most effective approach to treatment.   All clients should complete a general health history questionnaire.

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The Relaxation Response

The relaxation response is an innate mechanism that counters the negative effects of stress. The term was made popular with the publication of a book called The Relaxation Response1, but the mechanism was described much earlier by a researcher named Hess2. By stimulating the posterior regions of the hypothalamus of animals, Hess could evoke a

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How Stress Management Works

Earlier in this chapter, we looked at stress as an imbalance between demands on an individual and resources available to meet those demands. Stress management techniques generally have the effect of reducing demands on the individual or augmenting the resources that the individual has available to cope with those demands.   The image of a basin

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Lesson 04: Relaxation Massage

Because stress is so prevalent and can have such detrimental effects on a person’s health, it can be regarded as a pathology that must be treated effectively through accurate assessment and appropriate use of techniques. The goal of using massage in the treatment of stress is to improve the quality of the client’s life by

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The Tension-Tone Spectrum

At what point does tone cross the threshold from healthy to pathological? Some people just have a higher level of healthy resting tone, so we can’t rely on the level of resistance we feel when pushing into the tissue as a measure of tissue health.  Instead of relying on the feeling of tightness to determine

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