How the Full Body Massage is a Physiological Relaxation

The term full body massage when massage originated in the 19th century was coined as a massage which covers the whole body. According to Patricia J Benjamin, full body massage had its origin in the famous Rest Cure for a debilitating melancholy "neurasthenia". It was common among society ladies in the late 19th century.   

A full body massage is a massage given by a therapist during a during a therapeutic massage which includes back, shoulders, legs, feet, arms, hands and neck. The full body massage lasts for 50 minutes. In the course of a full body massage, the therapist generally start from back and shoulders and then moves down to the body.  

Whether you go for Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, hot stone massage or lomi-lomi, most massages at spas will be full-body massages.  In case, if you have a problem in a certain part of the body or an injury, then you can request your therapist to spend more time on that area. And, in case you want your therapist to spend time on certain areas and you don’t want your therapist to less time on other areas then you need to fix an appointment prior to the massage for a longer period of massage, such as 75 to 90 minutes. In this way, you can get a full body massage with more focus you need in specific areas.

A full body massage provides a lot of physical benefits such as it cures injuries and makes our muscles more flexible but it also provides a lot physiological benefits. Here are the some of the benefits provided by full body massage therapy.

Reduces Anxiety

According to the researchers at NCCAM, the massage therapy can reverse our physiological conditions such as fear, anticipation, and worry, that contributes to the physical reactions of the body, by helping in lowering the blood pressure and heart rate. These reactions encourages a sudden rush into our body and this rush rises the levels of blood pressures that in not good for our health. Multiple massage sessions can effectively remove the original fears, also referred to as trait anxiety, to combat the initial responses.

Improve Moods

The manual manipulations of the body cause serotonin and endorphins to be released into the bloodstream that elevates our moods. Massage also has the tendency to stimulate pain blockers and reduce the feelings associated with chronic pain. Doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center report that massage can relieve feelings of depression in people with chronic illnesses such as cancer and fibromyalgia.

Increases Relaxation

Everyone knows that relax relaxes our body but it also relaxes our mind. The environment created by the massage therapist is typically soothing and calm, filled with soft music and the healing fragrance of various aromatherapy scents from candles or diffusers. The client lies down on a table and is taken huge care by a trained professional by touching with soothing hands. Therapist hands rubs, relaxes and loosens the tight muscles by rubbing it. If you can't afford to be pampered in a spa or massage therapist's office those same relaxing benefits may be achieved through self-massage techniques and massage sessions with a partner.

Promotes Energy

While massage can be very relaxing, the brisk movement of certain massage strokes can energize the client and increase concentration and mental acuity. Athletes often use massage to reduce anxiety and soothe sore muscles. The doctors at the Sports Injury Clinic report that specific pre-event sports massage can pump athletes up by leaving them with a positive self-image and attitude needed to win competitions. Moreover, not even sportsman but there are certain offices where managers have made a shoot outs for massage in the workplace to keep workers energized and alert.