Massage Therapy for Pain & Stress Reduction

Vicki:

Welcome to an HMC HealthWorks podcast. Today, we’re going to be talking about massage therapy. Massage therapy is an excellent way to reduce physical pain, stress, anxiety, and depression. It also improves sleep and helps you in coping with a variety of physical conditions. Today, we’re pleased to be joined by Alexandra Smith and she’s a nationally licensed massage therapist. Welcome, Alexandra.

Alexandra:

Thank you for having me Vicki.

Vicki:

So massage is perhaps one of the oldest healing traditions and many of the ancient peoples, Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese and Indians, they were convinced of the therapeutic properties of massages and they used it to treat a variety of ailments. Talk to us a little bit about that term – massage therapy.

Alexandra:

Sure. So massage is really the practice of meeting and manipulating a person’s muscles and the other soft tissues in order to improve their wellbeing or health and basically to affect change. So it’s manual therapy, meaning the therapist is using their hands and we can affect change through movement, range of motion, through the kneading of the muscle tissues, through pressure. Sometimes when you go to massage therapist, they’re working at pressure points. So anything that makes change in the body.

Alexandra:

And also, there’s so many different modalities within massage. You can just go and strictly get what we like to call a fluff and buff relaxation massage is very, very light pressure to deep tissue, which people love. Athletes typically love that because it really gets in to the muscle tissue on a much deeper level which will help kind of repair little tears in the muscle fibers. And then you have Thai massage, which is literally from Thailand on the floor, given on the floor on a mat and the Thai actually prescribed massage as a part of their medicine. So it’s just different countries and they see massage in different ways.

Vicki:

Yeah, it’s interesting you would bring that up because I think the other day when you and I were talking, we were talking about integrative and complimentary medicine and I was telling you that in my own experience with a car accident and with my PCP and a physical therapist, they all felt that including massage was really an important tool for someone to be able to get whole health. So it’s interesting to hear you talk about how that is already considered a mainstream tradition in Thailand.

Vicki:

So speaking about how a massage can help with many things, I wanted to ask you about some of the disorders that massage therapy could be used as part of a treatment plan, because obviously you need to still be in your traditional medical doctors’ care, massage isn’t to substitute that, but it’s definitely another tool in your toolbox that could be part of your treatment plan. What are some of those disorders that massage can be helpful with?

Alexandra:

Sure. A lot of times, massage therapists work in conjunction with like a chiropractor, for instance. So you might be going to see your chiropractor and as a part of that treatment, you might be able to get 15 minutes to a half hour of massage. So that’s something that people should be aware of if they are receiving chiropractic care and it’s just definitely something to inquire about. But they basically go hand in hand really well. And I did work for a chiropractor at one point and he was saying to me, and I believe this whole heartedly because I saw it, where when you do the spine adjustments and then you work the muscles as well, the patient is only going to get better that much quicker. So it’s just amazing to see.

Alexandra:

But basically massage is so good for chronic low back pain, any sort of if you’ve been working out crazy hours and/or you’re preparing for a marathon or any sort of really strenuous activity, it’s excellent for that delayed onset of muscle hypertension and it can really kind of help alleviate that. It’s great for anxiety and stress. A lot of people use massage for that obviously, and especially right now is a great time. Soft tissue injuries if something happened to you and you just kind of got a sprain or strain, massage can help you. And then sort of headaches, I mean, I’ve had people come in, they would come in regularly at three weeks like clockwork because if they didn’t come in, then the headaches would start to begin. So it was jus, they could feel in their bodies, “I know it’s time to go see Alex,” because they could feel the headaches starting to come on. High blood pressure, and it just goes on and on sometimes in terms of what massage can do and I highly recommend it.

Alexandra:

And then it also can be really great for people if they have cancer. It’s definitely not going to cure cancer or anything like that, but it can be helpful when you’re working with an oncologist.I would know when to give the treatment based on when a client is receiving chemotherapy and then it can also help the after effects of receiving chemo in terms of neuropathy and some other things. So it’s something to think about if you are receiving treatments to ask your doctor.

Vicki:

Yeah. So basically like you said, it’s really something to support them and compliment, and also aid them when they are going through that tough physical period of fighting a disease like cancer. So yeah, that definitely makes sense. When my mom had breast cancer, one of the things that was the most helpful for her was the massage they offered in the cancer therapy in Middletown, Connecticut.

Vicki:

So that brings me to the next thing. I know that you just talked about working in conjunction with once you were employed with a chiropractor and I had mentioned to you earlier about a physical therapist that I was with same thing, wanting things to be complimented with massage therapy. And you talked about it earlier where a lot of the pain that we have in our back and neck and shoulders, it’s from our vertebrae and the systems of muscles and nerves around it. And I know from the massage that I did and the PT that I did that the massage can remove pressure off the muscles and some of the nerves that might be causing pain and hitting those trigger points.

Vicki:

So really, I think what would be great is if you could kind of explain to us in terms of the way we’re trying to alleviate some of the pain, talk to me about it from muscles versus nerves because a lot of people aren’t sure on that. And even when I went through it, I wasn’t always sure about that. And I think that’s just good for people to understand it’s not just one thing, it might be a combination of things.

Alexandra:

Right, exactly. So the majority of Americans, if you took an x-ray of everyone’s spine, you would find that some crazy number like 90% of Americans have herniated discs. So for some people, it doesn’t bother them, it’s not creating a problem. For the other people who it is creating a problem, it’s a huge problem because it really hurts. So it’s where the herniation is actually bulging and just sitting on a nerve sort of in the spinal area typically, or it could be in the neck, but down to the low back, who knows?

Alexandra:

But anyway, so you’re going to feel if you have that going on, you know it’s very tangley, it’s painful, people get sciatica so it’s running down the leg into the foot. So what happens is it’s very difficult or it just takes time for that disc to heal. And so massage isn’t going to heal the desk or anything like that, it’s not going to get rid of that disc issue, but what massage can really help with is just the effects of that nerve getting trapped. And so I can help by working the leg muscles. So now what happens is when the nerve is firing off all, those muscles in the leg, if it’s sciatica, get really tight and the body starts to armor from the pain, meaning the muscles just get tighter and tighter so it can help relieve that muscle tension. So it’s really just relieving the areas that are affected by the nerve and just giving people some relief. So really it’s kind of just helping people along in that state.

Alexandra:

You can also have compression from typing or keeping our arms forward constantly, our pec muscles might get really, really tight. And sometimes people experience muscle compression in their pecs so that you will get nerve pain down the arm. So then at that point, then I would work the person’s peck muscle and try to loosen that up and try and see if we can get the muscles off the nerve.

Alexandra:

So it’s just a matter of trying to figure out where you can have that nerve entrapment that often will cause the pain. And it’s a very different pain than what you would find with a muscle tear. So a nerve issue is where it feels like pins and needles versus just pain in the muscle. And the pain and the muscle, people really are sort of usually aware of what that feels like and it’s very different than the pins and needles and the pins and needles, I think, both are not good, but the pins and needles sort of tends to be a little bit more acute for sure.

Vicki:

Yeah. And that makes sense and it’s interesting, something you said just sort of triggered the next question that I had been thinking about, you were talking about getting the tightness in the pecks from typing all day and also how that can do the nerve pain down the arm. And all the time that we spent staring down at our screens or sitting incorrectly at work or even at home, I know in my own experience that it has been detrimental to my posture and I will have specific neck pain. And I believe it’s common for most folks since everyone is glued to their devices, probably more than they should be, can massage help with that kind of pain?

Alexandra:

Oh yeah. So what’s happening now is that it’s an epidemic of people sitting at their computers and the effects from that and the body. And so a lot of people, like you said, are getting the neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain from sitting all day. So what I would constantly tell people is if that’s happening, yes massage can help but it’s also perpetuating factors outside of the massage room. So how are you sitting? Are you sitting ergonomically at your desk? What kind of work are you doing? Are you a painter and you’re painting over your head all day or are you a bus driver and you’re opening the bus door with your right arm all day long? I actually have a client like that and I can’t tell her that she’s got to quit a job, but I can help her be preventative in keeping her shoulders loose and preventing the pain and how often she needs to come in to work on the muscle tissue.

Alexandra:

So it’s repetitive use that causes issues and that will cause those trigger points. And then it’s also on the flip side, the lack of movement where you’re just sitting all day and the muscles just tighten up. So I recommend to people that if you are at the computer, try and get the standup desk and you can stand for an hour and then sit for an hour and just alternate throughout the day. Sitting too much isn’t good and then standing isn’t too good for many hours on end either. So it’s just trying to alternate, finding out what is best for you. And then also other things that might contribute to feeling bad physically or achy could be, have you looked at your shoes in a while? Do you need to get new shoes? Do you need a new pillow, a new mattress? Lots of those types of things. And typically when you start to make those tweaks, you start to feel better.

Vicki:

Yeah. That makes sense. Because as you said, you might think that it’s one thing, but if the work afterwards with you isn’t helping, you might have to look at another thing, because I agree with you, I’ve had that issue with shoes myself. So we’re talking about the things like trying to improve posture, get more comfort at home, I actually kind of want to go back to something that I think that everyone knows throughout this country, it’s been a huge, huge problem, it’s the opioid addiction in the US. And I want to talk to you a bit about massage and pain management as a way to help alleviate that pandemic. I mean, right now, the opioid prescription in the United States for low back pain, it’s really increased and the opioids are now the most commonly prescribed drug class and more than half of the regular opioid users report back pain. So what role can massage therapy play in reducing pain and also as an alternative to opiod medication?

Alexandra:

Right, I mean, it is such a shame that is such a huge epidemic. And certainly massage can definitely play on a role in alleviating that back pain. A lot of people haven’t had the opportunity to try massage. So I would highly recommend people try massage first before they go to those types of pain relievers and to see how it works. I mean, I can’t tell you time and again how many people stepped into my office, they’ve never had massage before, they gave it a whirl and were amazed at how much better they felt. Is it perfect for everybody? No, it’s not. And I felt actually the people who really were the most hesitant then became my biggest champions in terms of the modality.

Alexandra:

So it’s really just trying to be open and trying something new and really not getting into the opioid kind of arena. And if people are using Advil, any sort of anti-inflammatory as well, that’s super helpful if they need that as an extra little boost. But typically, when I work on people and work on trigger points, trigger points can create a lot of pain, that seems to be really effective. And I love to show people stretches and different exercises so that they can help themselves at home as well, so that they don’t have to wait until they get back into my office to see me.

Vicki:

So basically it’s a partnership between them and you, it’s like you’re both helping that person. So another thing I wanted to ask you about, it pertains to massage and sleep. And I noticed when I’ve had a massage that I sleep great, sleep is often a challenge for me because I have neurological sleep apnea, which that’s the type of apnea where my brain forgets to tell me to breathe. But after massage, I sleep so well at night and even subsequent nights. Is that just me or is there some real connection why I experience that after a massage?

Alexandra:

Oh yeah. So massage definitely releases all sorts of when you get into that relaxation mode, the hormones are getting stimulated so the body just starts to produce the endorphins, including dopamine, as well as serotonin. So it’s just a natural way for your body to relax and create that feeling of relaxation and the need that your body wants to sleep.

Alexandra:

I also find that when people are really super relaxed, it really allows them to heal. So I highly recommend if you are having issues with sleep, it’s a really great way to find out what it feels like… I really did actually had someone who she really has an issue with insomnia and so when she would come in for massage, she finally had that feeling of what it was like to be tired because I think she was constantly on all the time so that when she hit the massage table, she finally was able to just let go and let herself get to that state of deep relaxation. So it’s just tuning in with your body and it’s just your body is doing what it naturally does when it wants to relax.

Vicki:

Yeah. That makes sense. Talking about sleep, it reminds me of the importance of sleep, you were talking about, for healing, for your physical body, but also sleep with boosting our immunity. And I’m wondering if there are other ways that massage also helps to boost our immunity.

Alexandra:

Absolutely. So what it does is it increases the number of lymphocytes, which are the white blood cells that help defend the body from disease according to an NIH study and other physical changes are things like lower levels of cytokines molecules that play a role in inflammation, a decrease in the stress hormone cortisol, and a decrease and vasopressin, a hormone that plays a role in aggressive behavior. So literally one session of massage is enough to produce measurable changes in the body’s immune and endocrine response. So getting the lymph moving, getting the blood moving in the body is all so, so healing. Getting fresh blood into the muscle tissue, people don’t realize how good that is, but when you have stagnant blood and certain areas of the body, it just sits there and it actually can be uncomfortable. And once you start to work on the muscle, you get that fresh blood with the nutrients and all that sort of thing. It’s really, really helpful for the body to heal.

Vicki:

Yeah, all of that makes sense. And I think just some of the massage I had, I definitely experienced that myself. I definitely felt healthier afterwards. The other thing, I wanted to talk about the tie between mind and body, and I wanted to talk a little bit about massage and management of anxiety and depression, because I know when I had my car accident and I was going through a difficult time physically, it also affected me mentally and I would find myself not in a good place in my head. So talk to me a little bit about massage and its effect in terms of dealing with mental health.

Alexandra:

Sure. I think in terms of mental health, it’s such a great way for people to come in. Like I have been saying before, it’s just to really give themselves a chance to check out and tune in with their body so kind of check out mentally, but tune in physically. So massage can sooth these feelings by reducing cortisol levels and by stimulating those mood boosting hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin. And research has actually found that adults who are relaxing in a massage chair for 15 minutes two times a week for five weeks experienced an increase in frontal Delta waves, those are the slow loud brainwaves that suspend external awareness and our source of empathy, which promoted the feelings of relaxation.

Alexandra:

So in a similar study, it found that depressed adolescent mothers who received 10 30 minute sessions of massage therapy over a five week period had less anxious behavior and reduced heart rates and cortisol levels. So people mentally feel much better. And cortisol is an anxiety producing sort of hormone that gets stimulated when we feel anxious and we don’t want to have high levels of cortisol running around in our bodies so this is a great way to bring those levels down. And again, whenever you kind of stimulate those endorphin hormones, you’re going to feel better and you will definitely feel a mood boost.

Vicki:

Well, that’s good. And this is such interesting information, I do want to kind of turn to the one challenge that all of us folks are facing against COVID-19, and I think people that have in the past had massages or people who are interested in finding out, that would be a good complimentary therapy for them in dealing with the physical challenge, I think they’re wondering if they should have a massage or not. I know I talked to my PCP and they said it’s an individual choice. If a person’s healthy and if I’m following protocols of wearing my mask, good hand hygiene and that the massage therapist is doing the same and has a very vigorous cleaning process and client volume and just keeping those numbers down of the people going in and out having time between, temperature screenings that they thought I can determine the benefits and if they outweigh the risk.

Vicki:

So obviously if a person has a compromised immune system or is in a higher risk category, they should probably not have a massage, but I wanted to bring this whole thing up with the COVID-19 because I know that you started a new massage technique and I was thinking when I was going to be inviting you on the podcast that you would be a great person to discuss this particular technique, because it might be something that would be a great opportunity for folks that can avail themselves of the traditional massage services now, or even folks that are able to, they want an adjunct therapy. So can you talk to us a little bit about this technique and how someone might be able to avail themselves of it as well?

Alexandra:

Yeah, sure. So, yeah, the hands-on massage, depending on the therapist or where you live or your comfort level, that may not be the situation that you want right now with COVID. So what I have done is I’ve created a modality and it’s called Love Your Face Therapy, Lyft, L-Y-F-T. So it’s basically self-massage where I will help guide you through a series of massage techniques that we work on your face, head, neck, and upper shoulders. And basically if you are experiencing any sort of discomfort from typing or sitting at your desk or dealing with your kids, whatever it is, it’s a very relaxing modality and I can share with you how to work different trigger points and you’ll be amazed at how relaxed you’ll feel once you get into the routine with me. And even though you’re doing it to yourself, it’s highly therapeutic.

Alexandra:

So you’re watching me and we’re doing it together all online in a Zoom session and we work the face, and if people get headaches, have any sort of TMJ, neck tension, eyes strain, this is fabulous. And then we also work the upper traps and the neck from sitting and staring at the screen all day. So this is kind of something that I really feel very positive about, and I really feel it can help people at home when they don’t have the resources to go out and receive a massage. We’re all going to have to depend a little bit on working on ourselves and finding out those tools to make us feel a little bit better physically.

Vicki:

Yeah, that sounds awesome. So I would say to our listeners, if you’re interested, you can see more on loveyourfacetherapy.com, loveyourfacetherapy.com and you can see about a class or you could contact with Alexandra directly and I could put that information on one of our resource guides and then even if they wanted to do it one-on-one, that would work out nicely as well. So before we close today, I really want to thank Alexandra for joining us and it’s just been great to hear all the information that you’ve provided and the tips. So thank you and I hope maybe you’ll come back again in the future.

Alexandra:

Absolutely. Thank you for having me today.

Vicki:

Good. And I also want to remind our listeners to stay tuned for a future HMC HealthWorks podcast, and be sure to go to hmchealthworks.com for more information on a healthy body and healthy mind.