Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Updated : September 10, 2020 8:53 AM IST
Hypertension, a state where your blood pressure levels are higher than normal, is a serious medical condition. It increases your risk of many chronic ailments including heart, brain, kidney and other diseases. According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 1.13 billion people worldwide have hypertension and most of them live in low and middle income countries. This premier organisation also says that it is a major cause of premature death worldwide. In fact, it makes people five times more prone to stroke, three times more likely to develop heart attacks and experience heart failure. You may be at risk of this condition if somebody in your family suffers from it. There is nothing much you can do about this. Other causes are modifiable and include obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, too much salt in diet, a sedentary lifestyle, stress and also diabetes.
Blood pressure is the force that your blood exerts against the walls of your blood vessels. This pressure depends on the resistance of the blood vessels and how hard the heart has to work. It affects the venous and lymphatic blood flow in your body. Many experts believe and research has also proven that the Swedish massage can help you control your blood pressure levels.
Massage therapy decreases sympathetic activity and increase parasympathetic activity. It can significantly bring down anxiety and stress, which are risk factors of hypertension. Massages can also reduce heart rate in hypertensive individuals and increase skin blood flow and suppleness besides inducing tissue relaxation. The long strokes in massage compress the body tissues and when released increase blood flow to the local area.
Hypertension is associated with stress and elevated endothelial inflammatory markers. Swedish Massage Therapy is known for its therapeutic relaxation effects. It provides relaxation and reduces blood pressure caused by stress. It relieves muscle tension. Tense muscles make your blood vessels smaller and this causes high blood pressure. This is the most recognised and frequent used massage therapy and in many countries is called the 'classic massage'. It is characterised by long strokes applied according to the venous and lymphatic flow. This therapy is painless and gentle and has hardly any side effects.
In a Swedish massage, a masseur will help you relax by rubbing the muscles in long, gliding strokes in the direction of blood returning to the heart. It increases the level of oxygen in the blood and improves circulation and flexibility. There are many techniques that are routinely used in this kind of massage. Your masseur may apply circular pressure with hands and palms, give a firm kneading or apply light, rhythmic, tapping strokes on the topmost layers of muscles.
Here are 4 common strokes of a Swedish massage:
Your masseur may use hands, forearms or elbows to manipulate the superficial layers of the muscles. Sometimes, active or passive movement of the joints may also be a part of this massage therapy. The benefits are many and include better blood circulation, mental and physical relaxation, decreased stress and muscle tension and an improved range of motion. It also calms the nervous system and induces a general sense of well-being.
