Does Massage Help Chronic Pain? (And Why it Doesn't Often Last)

Does Massage Help Chronic Pain?

If I had a dollar for every time someone came to a massage therapist and their pain didn’t go away (permanently)  I wouldn’t be writing this post. Hahaha! But that changes in my office.

Let me begin with the science…

What is Afferent Pain vs. Efferent Pain?

Afferent = signals traveling FROM the body TO the brain. So, sensory input like pain, temperature, pressure, proprioception. Your body saying “something is happening here.”

Efferent = signals traveling FROM the brain TO the body. So, motor output like muscle contractions, organ function, movement commands. This is your brain responding.

Why this matters for pain:

Most people think pain is purely afferent — body sends a danger signal, brain receives it. But pain is actually an OUTPUT of the brain, not just an input. The brain receives afferent information, processes it through its threat assessment system, and then DECIDES whether to produce pain.

This is why:

∙ The same injury produces different pain in different people

∙ Chronic pain can persist long after tissue has healed

∙ Stress, fear, and past trauma amplify pain signals

∙ Bodywork that calms the nervous system can reduce pain even without touching     

                       the “painful” area

Visceral manipulation work interrupts faulty efferent patterns which the brain has learned to guard, brace, and protect in ways that create chronic dysfunction. Precise manual input creates new afferent signals that give the brain permission to update its threat response.

But here’s the thing. If the right part of the body isn’t being addressed then afferent pain returns after 2 or 3 days. That’s why oftentimes, when you get bodywork, you only feel better for a few days and then suddenly it seems like it’s coming back out of nowhere. The brain re-fires the signal that your body is in pain and the whole process starts over again.

When Pain Lives in the Brain

Now here’s where it gets interesting… have you ever heard of neuroplastic pain? You may have read ‘Healing Back Pain by Dr. John Sarno, a pioneer in chronic pain research. Since the publishing of his work many advanced practitioners such as myself have furthered this work. What if I told you that your chronic pain is likely connected to unexpressed emotion from traumatic events? It’s true. When pain switches from acute to chronic it actually changes places in the brain. That means that your body is misinterpreting a pain signal, which is kind of good news! There are a plethora of people who have come into my office and simply by expressing previously unexpressed emotions, or by having the right visceral structure addressed, their pain dissolves.

So, does massage help chronic pain? It certainly does! Especially when the right methods are properly utilized. If you’re dealing with chronic pain that keeps coming back, I’d love to work with you. 

If you're dealing with chronic pain that hasn't resolved, you can learn more about how I approach treatment on my 'Services' page.

New clients can currently book a 90-minute intro session for $175