So how does massage reduce pain? – Part 2

Previously I explained the scientific theory for  “How does massage reduce muscle pain?” in the short term .  But what about the long term?

I would like to introduce to you the “descending pain suppression mechanism.”

The brain is not a passive receiver of sensory messages, but rather a centre that interprets them and makes constant adjustments accordingly. For example, everyone knows that the way you perceive pain will be influenced by whether you focus on it or think of something else instead. And it seems reasonable to suppose that evolutionary selection may have favoured those individuals who could ignore pain signals for long enough to take actions that let them escape and survive danger.

Unpleasant cutaneous sensations stimulate nuclei within the mid brain.  These nuclei in turn initiate activity in the descending spinal tracts that release endogenous opiates (inhibitory neurotransmitters) within the spinal segment receiving the painful input.  This diminishes the intensity of the pain transmitted to the higher centres. Sports and Deep Tissue massage techniques can reinforce a naturally occurring discomfort, causing much greater release of opiates and achieve a more profound pain suppression.

References

Basbaum A, Fields H.  (1978) Endogenous pain control mechanisms: review and hypothesis.  Ann Neurol 4: 451-2.

Watson J (1982) Pain mechanisms: a review.  3. Endogenous pain mechanisms.  Australian Journal of Physiotherapy 27: 135-43

Related Posts

  • Massage for Runners … its all about optimising recovery

    We are introducing a new service: Runners Massage a special service to assist runners to optimise their recovery the massage will

    • flush out all the waste products in the tired muscles
    • address micro tears in the muscles
    which rejuvenates the tired heavy muscles making them feel light. The goal for runners is to first and foremost prevent the kind of wear and tear that comes with putting physical demands on your body. Yes; running is fantastic and ultimately good for your overall health, but if you are going to push your body to its limits you must prepare it and maintain it to avoid potential injury. With strenuous running, your muscles can lose their ability to relax and they become shorter and tighter.   Chronically tight muscles will lose their flexibility and that is really asking for trouble, as it makes you so much more susceptible to injury.  If your muscles lose flexibility, they can easily pull or tear, and tight muscles become very sore. Blood flow is poor through tightened muscles (ischemia) and that also cause pain.  Massage stretches the muscles in a much more specific way than stretching after a run, to regain lost flexibility. Click here to book your runners massage  

  • Is reflexology or massage better at reducing stress or pain?

    While amongst my clients there is a clear preference for massage, I decided to investigate if there was any scientific evidence if massage was better than reflexology (or vice versa) at reducing pain and stress. In 2012 there was a small study comparing massage to reflexology on cancer survivors over the age of 75 living in a care home.  The study compared the effectiveness of 20 minutes of reflexology treatments against 20 minute Swedish massage by examining the impact on the patients stress levels, pain levels and mood.  Pre and post treatment levels of salivary cortisol, observed affect and pain were compared. Both reflexology and Swedish massage resulted in significant declines in salivary cortisol indicating a reduction in stress levels, reduced pain levels and improvements in mood.        So to go back to my original question, there is scientific evidence for both and I suggest you book the treatment you prefer. Hodgson N, Lafferty D (2012) Reflexology versus Swedish Massage to Reduce Physiologic Stress and Pain and Improve Mood in Nursing Home Residents with Cancer: A Pilot Trial. Evidence Based Complement Alternat Med. 2:456897               

  • Oops I did it again?

    In clinic we frequently see clients who had an issue with either their neck or shoulder or their lower back that was resolved then a few weeks or months later they are back with the same issue.  So why does this happen?  First, it depends upon the client, as human body is unique and the issue. What I want to explain below are some influencing factors: Posture – Because lots of clients come to us in pain, when they walk out of clinic they are very vigilant about their posture.  When they start to feel like the issue has been resolved good posture becomes less of a priority.  More importantly bad posture creeps up on us slowly – particularly slumping at you desk when you have a tight deadline! Over training – One of the most common questions we get asked, is when “will I be able to go to the gym again?” – clients are always very eager to get back training.  If you are unable to train for a while, you need to gentle easy yourself back into training.  Over training is when the physical trauma from exercising occurs faster than the body can repair the damage. Overuse – An overuse injury typically stems from: training errors. Training errors can occur when you take on too much physical activity too quickly i.e. when you are training for a marathon you build up your distance and speed too quickly.