Therapies... - Massage - Stress Reduction / Relaxation

The sympathetic nervous system (S.N.S.) is the part of the central nervous system that controls what is known as the "fight or flight" response. This is the part of our brain that alerted and prepared us for danger when we used to live in a more "uncivilized" era -- that is, to confront the danger or to flee from it. It prepared us by dilating pupils to bring in more light, increasing heart rate, respiratory rate, and muscle tone. The S.N.S. also affects hormone activity that can affect blood glucose levels, renal functions, etc.

In a more relaxed state, the level of S.N.S. firing decreases and the parasympathetic nervous system (P.N.S.) comes to the forefront. It is known as the "rest and digest" part of the nervous system. It constricts pupils, decreases heart rate and respiratory rate, and increases digestive functions, among other things. The restorative functions of the body occur when the body is in a relaxed state.

Stress induces the S.N.S. to react. Because of this there are many conditions which are directly associated with high levels of constant stress such as, heart disease, chronic pain, panic attacks, insomnia, and a variety of gastrointestinal disturbances just to name a few. The increase in muscle tone caused by the S.N.S., if long term, can lead to tension headaches and other related problems. Stress also seems to suppress the immune system, rendering the individual somewhat compromised. Due to the integral role stress plays in so many conditions, relaxation massage is often employed as part of the treatment for these conditions.

A massage treatment for stress reduction is aimed at decreasing the activity of the S.N.S. while allowing the P.N.S. to induce relaxation and to perform its restorative functions. Massage can help decrease muscle tone and help relieve pain caused by such. It can also aid blood and lymph flow to eliminate the waste products of metabolism while increasing cellular metabolism itself. Hydrotherapy and aromatherapy are often used in adjunct to massage to assist the relaxation process.