Massage Therapy Journal Summer 2025

Summer 2025 • 29

“ Touch is a powerful medicine.” ―ERIKA LARSON, LMT

Stress and the Masseter Muscle?

In many cases, emotional distress such as stress and anxiety can manifest itself in physical ways. Stress, specifically, can lead to physical symptoms such as headaches, chest pain, general body aches and tense muscles, and dizziness. For example, a study 4 investigated mental stress-induced physiological changes in the human masseter muscle (the primary chewing muscle). The study hypothesized there would be some hemodynamic (changes in blood pressure, cardiac output, for example) and electromyographic (changes in muscle electrical activity in response to nerve stimulation) changes in jaw closure muscles related to sympathetic nervous system activity. Volunteers performed a two-hour mental stress task and then had their electromyographic activity of the temporal and masseteric muscles recorded, as well as the hemodynamic changes of the masseter muscle measured non-invasively. The study found that despite little change in integrated electromyographic activity, notable changes were found in hemodynamic parameters, suggesting that the hemodynamics of jaw muscles is susceptible to mental stress. This mental stress can cause people to clench their jaws and/or grind their teeth, which can, in turn, manifest itself as jaw and ear pain, headaches, and muscle spasms. Masseter massage can help alleviate this pain.

14 gestures, including stretching, flicking, deep typing, friction and smoothing on the face. The study observed statistically significant improvements on skin aging signs. Subjective benefits were also indicated. Overall, 85% of participants agreed their skin looked smoother with a reduction in fine lines and 100% of women indicated that the massage boosted their feeling of well-being. “I see massage assist with the symptoms of depression, anxiety and chronic stress every single day of my practice,” Hubbard says. “I log stress on a 1–10 ordinal scale before and after treatments. When I ask clients these questions, I can quantify how much they consider their stress levels have changed during and after treatment. I often also ask about mood changes during treatments, and most clients report a mood elevation of a 30–50% change or higher.” Can Massage Therapy Complement Other Mental Health Practices? Massage therapy is a unique approach to emotional well-being as compared to other mental health practices because it addresses the somatic part of emotions. “When we feel emotions, there is always a body response to the emotion,” says Carlton. “If we can help the body ease these physical reactions to the emotion, then the person is better able to see what’s needed to process what is really happening to them.” This unique approach makes massage therapy a great addition to other mental health practices. Many massage therapists are beginning to see a shift from within the mental health field toward making more connections between the mind and the body, and massage therapy is proving to be a helpful bridge between the two.

“Often, clients who do not achieve full resolution of issues with psychotherapy alone can benefit from adding massage to their treatment plan to clear emotions out of the body and the heart,” Hubbard says. According to Hubbard, massage therapy can also help clients who are under psychiatric care for depression or anxiety because it can complement the intake of their medications because it elevates endogenous opioid release, which elevates mood. Advice for Curious Clients It can be difficult for clients to broach the topic of massage for emotional well-being and health. From the massage therapist’s side, the best thing to do is foster an environment where the client feels safe and comfortable. This can

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