Like a stereo’s master volume dial, your nervous system regulates the amount of pain you feel. Massage cues the nervous system and dials down pain.
A scenario plays out every day in the massage studio: a super-stressed client enters the room, desperately in pain, and then leaves an hour later, visibly relaxed, and feeling dramatically better. Maybe it was the targeted massage work I did, but also, another, less tangible factor is at work - the nervous system.
This Dial Goes To 11
Did you know that your nervous system can dial pain signals up or down, like a stereo’s master volume dial? When you are stressed, the dial goes to 11 (hello, Spinal Tap fans, I see you!) Pain signals are prioritized, and played at a loud volume. When you are relaxed, the nervous system adjusts the volume down, and pain signals are universally muted.
In simple terms, the nervous system operates on a continuum on the volume dial between 1 “rest and digest”, and 11 “fight or flight.”
Rest and Digest
At 1 on the dial, “rest and digest”, your PNS - Parasympathetic Nervous System, is more active. You are calm. The long and wandering 10th cranial nerve, the vagus nerve, which connects to most of our major organs, releases feel good hormones like serotonin and dopamine. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine slows heart rate and reduces blood pressure, reduces inflammation and promotes healthy digestion and sleep. The factors you need for healing are present here.
Fight or Flight
At 11 on the dial, “fight or flight”, your ANS - Sympathetic Nervous System, is more active. You are ready to fight a bear. This state is often driven by the 5th cranial nerve, the trigeminal nerve. Adrenaline creates a fast burst of energy and focus, and your body streamlines itself for quick physical action. Your heart pumps faster to prep muscles for rapid movement. You breathe faster to take in more air. Your liver dumps sugar into your blood for quick fuel. Digestion slows, saving maximum energy for action.
Sometimes The Dial Gets Stuck at 11
Humans are designed to vacillate easily between the states of 1 “rest and digest” and 11 “fight or flight” on the dial, and ideally spend more time in 1, “rest and digest”. But there are all sorts of reasons where the volume dial might go to 11 and get stuck there, either for short periods for stressful life events, or longer term - think of people with anxiety, chronic stress, in difficult perimenopause stages, or with certain health conditions that trigger anxiety.
When we are stuck at 11 “fight or flight”, the PNS and vagus nerve are pushed into the background, and have a harder time coming back online. It creates a state where pain signals are intense, and healing and digestion are slow.
Massage Activates “Rest and Digest”
Have you ever experienced a profound downshift of your energy during a neck massage? The neck at base of the skull is one of many direct areas of stimulation for the vagus nerve. Massage here activates the calm states of the vagus nerve and PNS - Parasympathetic Nervous System. The vagus nerve can be activated either by direct pressure like in a massage, or like in popular gadgets that hack the vagus nerve, through resonance or small electrical pulses. In any of these scenarios, you turn the master volume dial down to 1, and get back to “Rest and Digest”. Pain signals are more muted, less sharp than before.
Communication is a Two Way Street
Your nervous system is in constant dialog with the rest of your body. So there’s an opportunity to influence the conversation by addressing the physical aspects of your body. Even if the dial is stuck at 11 “fight or flight”, when massage mimics “rest and digest” states elsewhere in the body, it convinces the nervous system that it might be ok to dial down to a more relaxed state.
Unwinding Muscle Tension
Tight muscles send a message to the nervous system that you are in 11 “fight or flight.” Massage helps release muscle tension, allowing the body to shift to 1 “rest and digest.”
Slower Breathing
Massage encourages longer, diaphragmatic breaths, which is one of the quickest, easiest hacks to activate the vagus nerve, and switch the nervous system into rest and digest. As a matter of fact, this is something you can do right now. Or while driving. I’m a big fan of …4 seconds breathe in, 4 seconds hold, and then 10 seconds breathe out. (If you can’t manage 10 seconds, try 6, or whatever’s a manageable number for you.) Repeat 25 times.
Less Stress Hormones
Studies show that massage reduces stress hormones, like cortisol. It’s yet another signal to your brain that it might be ok to shift to a more relaxed state.
Overall, massage addresses your muscles, and communicates with your nervous system. It’s a great way to dial down aches and pains, and downshift into a more relaxed state.
Schedule A Massage
If your interest is piqued, schedule a massage here.