How Does Massage Reduce Pain? The Gate Theory and Vagal Pathways
During the initial courses at a massage therapy school like ours in Portland, Oregon, students focus on gaining the baseline knowledge and technical prowess to deliver a delightful massage. Once they learn the basics of giving relaxing treatments, our students begin to explore why massage therapy is so effective for pain regulation. Let’s examine two prevalent theories on how the brain perceives pain, and why massage helps reduce pain.
The Gate Theory of Pain Perception
This theory posits that the brain processes pain only if the nerve gate in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord is open. Imagine […]