I read an article in Time magazine, March 7, 2011 by John Cloud, Beyond Drugs How alternative treatments can ease pain and found supportive research on how touch and massage effect the body. “The biological mechanics of how touch might work to reduce pain were explored in a compelling study published in September in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

The lead author, Dr. Mark Hyman Rapaport, chief of psychiatry and behavioral neuro-sciences at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, found that even a single deep-tissue Swedish-massage session resulted in a significant decrease in the hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP). AVP constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure, both of which can cause agitation and spikes in pain.

The study also showed that either massage or light touch therapy produced reductions in levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with higher levels of pain that is released when people are stressed.”

The author John Cloud tested the study by receiving a deep tissue massage and endured 8 blood draws to
measure cortisol levels his cortisol level dropped 56%.

You can help maintain lower blood pressure, cortisol levels and pain with massage. Book your massage today with easy online scheduling by clicking on “Schedule An Appointment” above.