Massage Therapy and Endorphins: How it Helps Your Clients

We all know that massage therapy feels great. Anyone who has a massage enjoys the experience of relaxation that comes from it, often falling asleep or into a zone, an altered state of consciousness that is pure relaxation. But did you know that massage therapy is actually a contributor to good health through the release of endorphins? That is at least the belief of many. There are literally hundreds of references on the Web showing how  massage therapy contributes to the  release of endorphins. What could be considered valid, reliable, double blind studies do not yet prove scientifically that this is the case, but the belief is widespread, and the positive benefits of endorphins on health are indisputable.

It is only recently that science has studied  endorphins and their impact on the human body. Endorphins are endogenous morphine, discovered by scientists in the mid 190’s. They found that these neurotransmitters in the brain have pain-relieving properties that are quite  similar to morphine. The three major types of endorphins are beta-endorphins mainly found  in the pituitary gland  and enkephalins and dynorphin, which are both distributed throughout the nervous system. Endorphins attach themselves  to opiate receptor neurons and reduce the intensity of pain in the body by naturally blocking pain signals that are produced by the nervous system.

Some studies now suggest that endorphins enhance the immune system, relieve pain, reduce stress, and can even retard the aging process, something most of our clients want. Scientists have also found  that beta-endorphins can activate human NK or Natural Killer cells and boost the immune system against diseases including cancer.  The physiological result of the endorphin release mechanism  deep relaxation. The respiration slows down, the heart rate decreases, the eyes dilate and blood is shunted from the extremities of the body to the body’s core improving digestion and blood  flow to the internal organs. Also the  lymphatic system quickens and this increases the excretion of waste and toxins from the body.

During massage therapy sessions  large amounts of endorphins are released into the bloodstream resulting in the groggy and lightheaded effect we experience. In fact, a Victorian era physician, Dr. Dowse, in 1887 said “The mind, which before massage is in a perturbed, restless, vacillating, and even despondent state, becomes calm, quiet, peaceful, and subdued after massage. In fact, the wearied and worried mind has been converted into a mind restful, placid, and refreshed.” A case for massage if there ever was one.