Massage for Trauma Release: Supporting Emotional and Physical Healing
Author: Dr. Scott McFarlane, Clinic Director, Doctor of Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine
Trauma leaves imprints not only in the mind but throughout the body. While emotional therapy has long been the focus of trauma recovery, research now confirms that massage therapy also plays a critical role in helping the body release stored tension and emotional distress. For those seeking holistic health and whole person healing, understanding the role of massage in trauma recovery offers a science based approach that bridges emotional and physical care.
At Saffron and Sage, a holistic healthcare club in San Diego, our practitioners recognize how trauma impacts the nervous and muscular systems. We emphasize body based therapies such as massage as a way to restore balance, safety, and connection.
The Connection Between Trauma and the Body
When we experience trauma, whether from an accident, chronic stress, or emotional harm, the body often shifts into survival mode. This activates the sympathetic nervous system, triggering a fight, flight, or freeze response and flooding the system with stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. If unresolved, these physiological changes become embedded in the body’s tissues, especially in the muscles, fascia, and nervous system.
Research by Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, highlights that trauma is not just a psychological event. It is a full body experience that remains stored until it is intentionally released (The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma). This underscores the need for body centered therapies such as massage to complement traditional talk therapy.
How Massage Therapy Supports Trauma Recovery
Massage therapy provides a safe, structured, and sensory experience that helps individuals reconnect with their bodies and begin processing stored trauma. Through gentle pressure, slow rhythm, and intentional touch, massage activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which supports rest, repair, and emotional regulation.
This shift helps reduce heart rate, lower cortisol levels, and release muscle tension. A 2014 study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that massage therapy significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder (Massage Therapy Reduces Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression). These physiological shifts create the groundwork for emotional healing, allowing the body to step out of a prolonged stress response.
Physiological Benefits of Massage for Trauma Survivors
1. Regulation of Stress Hormones
Massage therapy reduces circulating cortisol while boosting levels of serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters play vital roles in mood regulation. Research published in the International Journal of Neuroscience found that just one massage session could increase serotonin by 28 percent and dopamine by 31 percent.
2. Restoring the Mind Body Connection
Many trauma survivors experience dissociation or disconnection from their bodies as a coping mechanism. Massage helps re establish that connection by encouraging awareness of physical sensations in a safe and non threatening context. This fosters a greater sense of presence and grounding.
3. Releasing Muscular Tension and Stored Energy
Emotions are often physically held within the muscle tissues, especially in the shoulders, neck, and back. Gentle manual therapy can release this tension, allowing the nervous system to downshift and regulate more effectively.
4. Supporting Immune and Circulatory Function
Chronic stress can suppress immunity and disrupt circulation. Massage helps by promoting lymphatic flow, improving blood oxygenation, and supporting the body’s healing processes on a cellular level.
Emotional Benefits and the Importance of Trauma Informed Care
Trauma informed massage goes beyond technique. It is about creating a safe, empowering environment. A trauma informed therapist respects boundaries, encourages ongoing consent, and ensures the client remains in control throughout the session.
This approach enhances emotional resilience by rebuilding trust in the body and regulating the emotional system. According to Frontiers in Psychology, somatic practices including massage can reduce post traumatic symptoms by improving interoceptive awareness, the ability to sense internal physical states (Somatic Awareness and Trauma Recovery: The Role of Body-Oriented Therapies).
Massage also boosts the release of oxytocin, a hormone associated with trust, bonding, and calm. This neurochemical support helps counteract the isolation and fear that trauma often brings.
Holistic Healthcare and Trauma Recovery
At Saffron and Sage, trauma care is approached through a holistic lens. Symptoms are not treated in isolation. Instead, we look at the interconnections between mind, body, and spirit. Massage for trauma release is often paired with other therapies such as breathwork, acupuncture, energy healing, and somatic coaching.
Our practitioners understand that trauma recovery is non linear. It unfolds as individuals learn to regulate their nervous systems, reconnect with their bodies, and cultivate emotional balance. Each care plan is tailored to meet the unique needs of the client.
Integrating Massage into a Trauma Recovery Plan
Massage therapy is most effective when it is part of a larger trauma recovery strategy that includes psychological, physical, and energetic support.
We recommend the following:
Start with gentle techniques such as Swedish massage or craniosacral therapy, which encourage relaxation without overstimulation
Open communication with your practitioner about comfort levels and boundaries
Pair with complementary therapies such as acupuncture, meditation, or breathwork
Maintain consistency with regular sessions that help retrain the nervous system over time
This integrated approach fosters resilience and supports long term recovery.
The Science of Touch and Emotional Healing
Touch is a primary language of safety and connection. After trauma, the absence of safe touch can deepen emotional pain. Neuroscience shows that therapeutic touch can activate the vagus nerve, which governs the relaxation response.
Harvard Medical School research confirms that stimulation of the vagus nerve reduces anxiety, slows heart rate, and lowers blood pressure. Massage directly supports this process, helping clients shift from fear to safety and from fragmentation to wholeness (Understanding the Stress Response).
Reclaiming Wholeness Through Massage
True healing from trauma involves more than recounting events. It requires a reconnection to the body. Massage therapy offers this reconnection by restoring the nervous system and helping individuals reclaim a sense of peace, presence, and embodiment.
At Saffron and Sage, trauma informed massage is part of a broader care model where emotional and physical wellness are unified. It empowers individuals to find safety, trust their bodies again, and move forward from a grounded place of resilience.
Begin Your Healing Journey at Saffron & Sage
If you’re ready to explore how massage can support trauma recovery and emotional balance, Saffron & Sage offers personalized care designed to restore your wellbeing from the inside out.
Our trauma-informed holistic health practitioners in San Diego provide a nurturing environment for those seeking to release tension, process trauma, and reconnect with their bodies.
Contact us today at 619-933-2340 to schedule a consultation or learn more about our integrative trauma recovery offerings. Your journey toward safety, balance, and healing begins here—with the compassionate care of the Saffron & Sage team.