http://www.massagema...research100.2.php

It's been known a while, this is just confirmation research.

Side effects are not discussed in the article. But the worst (absent a really nasty contraindication like getting a deep massage while on lots of pain killers or while suffering a really acutely dangerous health condition) are unnecessary sedation and euphoria. Then you've got increased range of motion, reduced blood pressure, and a hard-to-describe thing where nerve signals that used to be felt as pain are re-interpreted as detailed information about body state. And a few others...

Sensory inputs that are interpreted as pain can also be reinterpreted. Ever use nitrous for dental work? The stuff doesn't shut down the nerve impulses, it makes the brain find them amusing instead of distressing.

I've had several massages (and also just plain mental exercises, but massage works better) where nerve signals that caused suffering started delivering information instead. Same impulses, different interpretation. It works - sometimes.

Ever had a fall, where the immediate feeling is F*CK THAT HURTS and then you wonder what exactly got hit, what the damage is, focus on the precise nature of the pain sensation, and find it both informative and far easier to cope with? That's the kind of thing I'm talking about. A good massage can be good for that.