Are you tight? Probably due for a massage, eh? Speaking of tightness, I thought it was interesting when I became a massage therapist that there are differing forms of tightness. You might be familiar with one or more here:
- People who work out a ton get tight – this is the kind of tightness that forms so the body can handle difficult weight and strenuous, consistent loads. This is generally a good tightness most times (although too much of a good thing can be a bad thing).
- People who sit around a ton get tight – this is often a painful tightness where your fascia has hardened and breaking it down (what we do in trigger point massage) frees a person up. This tightness often causes pain and loss of range of motion. Usually not desirable.
- People who are overstressed and/or consistently stressed get tight – this is a strange tightness that is often hard to break through. This tightness is usually chronic and can eventually cause other major health problems.
What kind of tightness do you have?
Stress can antagonize so many aspects of our health. The American Psychological Association shares that stress afflicts every aspect of our physical body and restricts the body’s healing from daily damage (2023).
They share how when the body is stressed it tightens up all of the muscles making a kind of “guarded” state. When a person is constantly in this state their body soon develops other chronic and painful conditions. Some examples include chronic problems like migraines, reduced immune function (Segerstrom & Miller, 2004), and even create foul moods (American, 2023).
Most of us have a combination of the three different tightness types mentioned above, but some of us get quite stressed and our bodies show it. This type of tightness is tough to break through and sometimes a body won’t actually let it go and release. So what can a person do?
Really there are a lot of answers to fix or cope with or manage stress. But one big answer for all of this is to find community. Real connection.
Ever wonder why massage (and medical massage in large) helps with your pain and stress? Is it because I know where most of your trigger points are? Is it because I have a genuine interest in your wellbeing? Or is it because I have magic in my hands?
Probably yes to all of those. But the real reason (in addition to those mentioned above) you have found healing with me is because you have allowed yourself to connect with another human being (or me in this case).
We are herd-type beings. We need each other.
Dr. Sue Johnson, famous for discovering the world’s most successful couples’ therapy (with empirically tested success rates of 75% or better) and healing called Emotionally Focused Therapy states that, “Connection is our most ancient of survival codes.” It’s woven into our DNA (Johnson, 2020).
Our connection with each other really matters. Let me share a couple of examples that this is true.
In 1965, Romania got taken over by a new communist leader who banned abortion in an attempt to grow a new population who were to become his loyal followers. He also demanded that every household have 5 children or more. People were poor and couldn’t support the new law which was heavily enforced. After this communist leader’s overthrow many babies were orphaned and left in group care facilities to be raised.
The orphaned babies and toddlers were getting every need met such as food, water, and housing, EXCEPT for the need of being touched. Because of this lack of touch many babies died. Those who didn’t die grew up to be very underdeveloped mentally, while others developed just enough to get by in life. All who lived suffered extremely horribly through their life-span. All this because they didn’t receive touch and connection with a caring individual.
Another story stretches back even further with the king of Germany, King Frederick. He took babies from their mothers at birth and put them in the care of nurses who were commanded to never speak to the babies. His reason for doing this was to learn the holy language of god from these babies before the babies’ language was corrupted with human influences. His results? All the babies died because they didn’t have human connecting relationships.
There is a ton of science on touch and connection (McNichols, 2021)(Ardiel & Rankin, 2010)(Casio et al., 2019). All of it points to humans dying when this love is withheld. It also shows how people heal immensely fast and well when genuine, positive touch and connection happen.
So what does this have to do with stress and tightness? EVERYTHING!
The reasons we are are able to provide effective healing in our clinic is because we really care about you AND we really want the best outcome for you too. This love is the key to helping you manage and even get rid of your stresses that are bogging you down.
So if you’re feeling down, exhausted, and are ready to be renewed, come get a Medical Massage Pros massage this week. And if you know someone in your life who is struggling, offer them a hand and send them our way. We’re here to help and appreciate you helping us too.
With love,
Jesse
P.S.
I have been networking with many doctors and continue to do so in order to help provide you with the best services our local area has to offer. I often say if you’re sore try stretching. If that doesn’t work come try massage. And then if that doesn’t fix it all I have great friends who I trust my own family with. Friends (doctors) who I will share with you. Just ask.
I had a doctor help me re-grow my disc in my lumbar spine. I know a doctor who helps people heal their relationships and is very successful. I know a doctor who can reverse/maintain scoliosis and is the only one trained in this method from Riverbend, California up through Lehi, Utah. Let’s get you and your loved ones as functional as is possible.
Sources
American Psychological Association. (2023). Stress effects on the body. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body#:~:text=Stress%20causes%20the%20body%20to,%2C%20circulatory%2C%20and%20male%20reproduction.
Ardiel, E. L., & Rankin, C. H. (2010). The importance of touch in development. Paediatrics & child health, 15(3), 153–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/15.3.153
Cascio, C. J., Moore, D., & McGlone, F. (2019). Social touch and human development. Developmental cognitive neuroscience, 35, 5–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2018.04.009
Johnson, S. (2020). Hold me tight: Seven conversations for a lifetime of Love. Little Brown & Co.
McNichols , N. (2021, August 3). The vital importance of human touch. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/everyone-top/202108/the-vital-importance-human-touch
Segerstrom, S. C., & Miller, G. E. (2004). Psychological stress and the human immune system: a meta-analytic study of 30 years of inquiry. Psychological bulletin, 130(4), 601–630. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.130.4.601
