Massage and your nervous system

What exactly is your nervous system and why do I center it in my massage practice? The term ‘nervous system’ is thrown around a lot these days, especially in an age where anxiety and depression seem to be the norm. But what does it actually mean?

What is the nervous system?

The nervous system is made up of your brain, spinal cord, and a vast network of nerves covering your entire body. It is your body’s control center, responsible for receiving and responding to information. Information comes from both inside and outside the body: signals from your organs, what you see/hear/feel, etc. Your nervous system takes in all this information and sends out messages to the rest of your body. As such, it controls things like breathing, muscle function, and thought. Quite simply: it controls everything. 

The nervous system is comprised of tissues and bones, and just like your muscles, it can develop restrictions (like knots) and tension patterns. These stuck areas prevent the system from functioning at its best, leading to chronic pain, mental health issues, and dysfunction of other systems. Many things can cause these restrictions: physical or emotional trauma, stress, repetitive use (like staring down at a phone or laptop screen for too long each day), and just being a human trying to survive in a challenging world. 

How does massage interact with the nervous system?

All types of massage have been shown to help down-regulate the nervous system, often leaving people feeling calm and muscles more relaxed. However, I take it one step further by incorporating CranioSacral Therapy into all of my sessions. CranioSacral Therapy (CST) works directly with the bones and tissue that make up the nervous system. It feels like light touch and manipulation of the bones of your head and spinal cord. It’s a gentle form of bodywork with profound results. 

Working directly with the nervous system is like massage from the inside out. CST gets to the root of the issue, rather than just treating symptoms like muscle tension. The result is pain relief and improved mental health that lasts much longer than a typical massage. That is why it’s especially effective for complex issues that don’t typically respond to treatment. When we address the issue at the level of your nervous system, it helps the rest of your body sort itself out. Bodies are wired for healing. I help remove any barriers so your body can do what it does best: heal.