Is a 15 minute Neck & Shoulder Massage beneficial?

Fifteen minutes is a very short space of time, so I am often asked by potential clients if they will receive any benefits from such a short massage.

Well the good news is that you do receive benefits, and its not just me saying that, or the subjective experience of other clients there is scientific evidence too.

  • In 1996 Shulman, K.R. & Jones, G.E. in the Journal of Applied   Behavioural Science, looked at the effectiveness of chair massage in reducing anxiety in an organisation. An on-site chair massage therapy program was provided to reduce anxiety levels of 18 employees in a downsizing organization. 15 control group s participated in break therapy. Subjects’ stress levels were measured with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, which was administered twice during pretest, post-test, and delayed post-test to achieve stable measures. The study concluded that significant reductions in anxiety levels were found for the massage group. 1
  • In 1996 Field, Ironson, Pickens et al. in the International Journal of Neuroscience concluded that chair massage therapy offers benefits in not just alleviating the physiological effects of anxiety, but also in improving mental alertness.2
  • In 1997 Cady et al. in Perceptual & Motor Skills evaluated the effectiveness of a 15 minute chair massage on reducing stress as indicated by blood pressure. 52 employed participants’ blood pressures were measured before and after a 15 minute massage at work. Analysis showed a significant reduction in participants’ systolic and diastolic blood pressure after receiving the massage. High Blood pressure is associated with anxiety and stress, this study supports the conclusion that chair massage is relaxing and reduces stress. 3

There is solid scientific evidence of the benefits of a 15 minute seated acupressure massage, so why not book now.

References

  1. KR Shulman and GE Jones, 1996, The effectiveness of massage therapy intervention on reducing anxiety in the work place, Journal of Applied Behavioural Science (32), p160 – 173
  2. Field T; lronson G; Scafjdi F; Nawrocki T; Goncalves A; Burman I; Pickens J; Fox N; Schanberg S; Kuhn C, Sep 1996, Massage Therapy Reduces Anxiety and Enhances EEG Pattern of Alertness and Math Computations, The International Journal of Neuroscience, 86 (3-4) p197-205Read More: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/00207459608986710
  3. Cady SH and Jones GE, Feb 1997, Massage therapy as a workplace intervention for reduction of stress, Perceptual & Motor Skills, (1) p157- 158Read More:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9132704

 

Related Posts

  • Can massage help you if you are constipated?

    Recently scientists have looked at the impact of abdominal massage on people with constipation. Constipation affects twice as many women as men.  Older people are more likely to be affected and in addition taking certain medications e.g. opioids can cause it. A randomised control trail of 204 patients with constipation (from opioid medication), were split into two equal groups.  The intervention group were taught how to administer abdominal massage on themselves, in a clockwise direction over the intestines on the abdominal wall, which they performed twice a day for four weeks after breakfast & dinner. The control group received standard medical care, such as laxatives, suppositories and enemas. Both groups were asked to keep a diary of their bowel movements and to complete three questionnaires, including the Bristol stool scale for evaluating stools and bowel habits, the visual analogue scale, which contains questions about constipation, including severity, straining & pain. Patients in the massage group reported significant improvements in stool consistency, straining during defecation, the feeling of incomplete emptying after defecation and experienced increase bowel movements.  They also reported a reduction in the severity of constipation, pain, straining, gas & fullness in the rectum.  However, the massage had no effect on the stool amount. The researchers concluded that abdominal massage was an effective approach for managing opioid induced constipation.  So if you suffer from constipation consider abdominal massage. Reference https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31358243

  • Why does massage help so much?

    In a previous post I outlined some of the benefits of the 15 minutes Seated Acupressure Neck & Shoulder massage including the scientific evidence for these claims. But I think their is one benefit that stands out above these.

    I know in my previous life as an IT project manage, several times I spent most of a day trying to fix a problem and I just couldn't find a solution.  I had a tendency to get caught up in a problem and its just frustrating -- it can literally stress you out. When you're stressed out, it's harder to think clearly. Emotional stress can send your problem-solving skills into a tailspin.  To make matters worse I used to flip over that fine line between being focused on solving the problem and obsessing over it.

    The trick to break this cycle is to shift your focus. The purpose of shifting your focus is to temporarily get your mind off whatever challenge has it tied up in knots.   So when you come back to it you have are re-energised and have a fresh perspective.

    Going for a massage, shifts your focus to your body releases anxiety and the seated acupressure massage energises you & improves your mental alertness.  So I found it an ideal way of breaking the cycle of mentally obsessing over problems when I worked in IT.

     

  • Trigger Points

    Often clients sit down to have a massage and are unaware how tight one area of there shoulder or neck is.  This is very common and here is why:

    • We only notice the worse area of pain - so if our right shoulder is more painful, we have a tendency to assume our left shoulder is OK.
    • Trigger Points
    What are Trigger Points? Trigger Points are hyper-irritable spots in muscle which are between 2mm - 10mm in diameter that are located frequently located where the nerves join the muscle fibers.  Active trigger points are always tender or painful, and often refer pain, so trigger points in only of the largest shoulder muscles the trapezius often refers pain up the side of the neck.  While latent trigger points are only painful when they are touched.  This is why when I work, sometime you discover areas of your shoulders that you didn't know were painful, these are latent trigger points. Trigger points can be found anywhere in the body but are extremely common in the shoulders. So if latent trigger points are only painful when you touch them, do I need a massage to release them?  The simple answer is yes as they may restrict your range of movement, so you will feel tightness if you try and rotate your shoulders or they can reduce the strength of your muscles, which puts more strain on your joints. What causes trigger points? There are several ideas about what causes trigger points but no agreed theory.  Below is a list of possible causes
    • Poor Posture
    • Muscle Damage
    • Nervous Tension
    • Physical Stress
    • Psyschological Stress
    • Environmental Factors - cold, damp
    • Illness
    • Lack of rest or sleep
    • Poor Diet
    What are the symptoms of trigger points?
    • Restricted movement
    • Tension headaches
    • Referred pain
    • Painful movement of a joint or limb
    How can I prevent trigger points forming?
    • Maintain good posture
    • Manage your stress
    • Follow a daily stretching routine
    How can I get rid of my trigger points?
    • Acupuncture
    • Massage