The body is an amazing and complex machine, relying on numerous systems that are interdependent on each other for efficient operation. A problem with one system is likely to have a knock-on effect with others.

Massage can help by stimulating each of the systems to encourage them to work more effectively and help combat the impacts of stress.

In the course of the massage the effects of stress can be alleviated in a number of ways:

• massage relies on touch, which is a neglected sense; touch can be comforting and reassuring. If we knock ourselves our first reaction is to “rub it better”,

• it releases endorphins - natural painkilling and uplifting hormones,

• it stimulates the part of the nervous system that slows the body down, encourages deeper more relaxed breathing, slower heart beat and restarts digestion,

• it stimulates the immune system that can be weakened by constant stress,

• it can help address depression and low self-esteem by producing a feeling of well-being and hence improves self-worth,

• it stimulates the body’s natural repair work at the lowest (cellular) level

Massage can also be helpful in rehabilitation treatment. Long periods spent in bed can result in reduced circulation, constipation, loss of muscle tone, stiff/achy joints and dull skin. Massage can help restore fitness and sense of well-being thus addressing both physical and psychological aspects.

Regular massage can, in the long-term:

• improve nerve communication and relax the nervous system to alleviate anxiety,

• improve muscle suppleness,
  

• improve circulation,
  

• boost the immune system,
  

• lower high blood pressure,

• assist the digestive system to operate in an efficient manner,

• improve skin elasticity.

This list in not exhaustive and is not a ranking. All the body’s systems need to be working efficiently for the whole body to function effectively as a whole.