Massage and the effects on the Nervous system

The nervous system includes both the Central nervous system and Peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord, and the Peripheral nervous system is made up of the Somatic and the Autonomic nervous systems. The Autonomic nervous system can then be divided into three further parts, the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. These three systems collectively have different roles and are important for modulating many vital functions, including digestion, respiration and cardiac contractility.

The sympathetic nervous system activates the fight or flight response when we are exposed to stress or threat and is responsible for increasing your heart rate and prepares you for mental and physical activity. The parasympathetic nervous system has the opposite effect and is responsible for bodily functions when we are at rest, such as stimulating digestion, activating your metabolism and it also helps bring your body to a state of calm and relaxation. Finally, the enteric nervous system is a separate nervous system for the bowel, which, to a great extent, autonomously regulates bowel motility in digestion. A normal functioning enteric nervous system is essential for a healthy bowel and freedom from gut-related symptoms.

So, what happens to our nervous system when we have a massage?

Massage typically has a calming and balancing effect on the nervous system and can help to reduce our levels of stress as a result of the sympathetic nervous system being in overdrive or heightened if we are exposed to stress on a regular basis. When massage is applied, the nerves and sensory receptors are stimulated and messages are sent along the nerve pathways via the spinal cord to the brain. Massage can help increase the response of the parasympathetic nervous system which then allows the heightened activity of the sympathetic nervous system to decrease and it can help restore balance. As a result of the parasympathetic nervous system being more responsive, the body slows down heightened activity, such as reducing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure and can create a state of calmness and relaxation.

Proactively stimulating your parasympathetic nervous system through massage, it can help restore the right balance and strengthen the parasympathetic nervous system. With the parasympathetic nervous system functioning better, we will find it easier to feel relaxed and calm and this can have a positive impact on stress and anxiety levels.