Massage Therapy

Massage Therapy at Pacific Bay Recovery of San Diego

Massage therapy has long been used as a method for relaxation. Trained medical professionals manipulate soft tissue by using different types of movement and degrees of pressure, helping their clients relax. You might not realize that massage therapy is also an effective treatment for addiction recovery. If you’re struggling with substance abuse in San Diego CA, consider massage therapy as part of your rehabilitation treatment protocol. It can help you manage your physical and emotional symptoms, so you can finally begin living an enjoyable life free of substances.

What Are the Types of Massage Therapy?

There are two main types of massage therapy. Rehabilitative massage therapy is used to help your body regain the proper movement and function after an injury. If you are in physical therapy or have undergone surgery, your physician might recommend rehabilitative massage therapy as part of your treatment plan.

Relaxation massage therapy is used to treat tension, reduce stress and anxiety, and stimulate blood flow. This is the type of massage therapy that is used to treat substance abuse.

How Does Massage Therapy Help with Substance Rehabilitation?

Massage therapy is becoming commonplace in drug and alcohol treatment facilities due to the benefits. It helps people during drug or alcohol withdrawal and the early stages of recovery and can be used as part of a long-term plan to stay substance-free.

First, massage therapy promotes the release of dopamine and serotonin while reducing the amount of cortisol in your system. Dopamine and serotonin are your feel-good hormones, and they drop when you’re going through withdrawal. At the same time, your stress hormones (cortisol) increase. By boosting your feel-good hormones and reducing your stress hormones, you will feel emotionally prepared to make it through rehabilitation. Then, after you leave rehab, you might continue to receive massages to keep your chemicals balanced. This will make it easier to stay on track.

Withdrawal can also be physically painful. You might notice aches and pains that didn’t seem to be there when you were using. The aches and pains might be due to chronic issues you’ve faced that caused you to turn to substances, or the discomfort might be your body’s way of demanding you start using again. Fortunately, you can feel relief through massage therapy for addiction recovery in San Diego, California. Your massage therapist will improve your blood flow to heal soft tissue injuries. At the same time, reducing your cortisol levels can alleviate the pain from withdrawal.

It’s also hard to relax when you’re going through rehabilitation. You are anxious and nervous, and that can cause your heart rate and blood pressure to increase. Massage therapy helps you relax and can even slow down your heart rate and reduce your blood pressure. When you feel less anxious, it’s much easier to focus on your recovery.

Massage therapy can also help you sleep when you’re going through rehabilitation. Sleep can be elusive during withdrawal and the early stages of rehab. If you don’t get enough sleep, it’s harder to recover. You’re more susceptible to relapsing if you are tired, so it’s important to undergo massage therapy to help you sleep. You will find it much easier to drift off to sleep at night after getting a massage, and you will also stay asleep longer. Your body can heal itself when you’re sleeping, so you will feel much better the following day. That means you will have the strength you need to go to addiction classes and support groups, so you can overcome your substance abuse issue.