Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems today. Massage promotes relaxation and offsets the harmful effects of stress, thus providing relief from both the physical and psychological effects of anxiety .
Therapies based on 마사지 are options that are worth trying, in view of the excellent results that are observed.
What is anxiety?
Feeling anxious, stressed or worried is a common response to a situation in which we feel pressured, such as speaking in public, a job interview or going on a date. These emotions are perfectly normal and can even keep us safe, for example when climbing a ladder; we have a higher level of consciousness and are more careful with our movements. These feelings usually resolve after the stressful situation has passed.
But for those with anxiety disorders, feelings of worry and fear remain and begin to interfere with daily life. Those affected live constantly fired up in the ‘fight or flight’ response.
How anxiety is reflected in the body
In this state, the body prepares to fight the perceived threat or to flee, in other words, flee from danger. Therefore, the body’s main response is to divert all its attention to what will help us fight or flee from the situation. These include:
It increases blood supply to our muscles and away from our digestive system so we can focus on running or fighting instead of digesting food properly.
Increases blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate to provide muscles with additional nutrients to prepare for running or fighting.
It increases the perception of our senses, such as vision, so that we can properly see the perceived threat.
It increases muscle tone so that we have extra strength and speed to fight or run.
So what does this mean for our musculoskeletal system? Basically the following:
Poor Posture – Slouching forward is a protective mechanism we use to fend off a potential threat causing symptoms like headaches, chest tightness, back pain, etc.
Muscle stiffness: The ‘fight or flight’ response increases muscle tone in the body to prepare for a perceived threat, resulting in patients with muscle soreness, squeezing muscle pain, tenderness, and loss of movement, etc.
Shortness of breath: Many people with anxiety tend to take very shallow breaths into the upper chest rather than deep breaths into the belly. This causes them to feel constricted and have difficulty breathing fully, leading to dizziness and increased use of the neck muscles to help with breathing, leading to neck tightness, jaw pain, and headaches.
Digestive problems: With blood being diverted during the ‘fight or flight’ response, digestion slows to a near stop, causing problems such as constipation, cramps and nausea, and decreased appetite.
Exhaustion: With the nervous system constantly in a state of high sensitivity, it can leave the patient feeling exhausted from the constant signals telling the body to prepare to fight or run. It is also difficult for people with anxiety disorders to get a restful night’s sleep.
Massages for anxiety
Some research suggests that getting a massage can help calm the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is known to trigger a cascade of physiological changes in response to stress. In periods of anxiety the sympathetic nervous system tends to overactivate . A massage can help control these effects.
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