Have you ever come away from a Phuket spa and noticed that, among the many other feelings, your whole body is tingling? It’s a good thing, obviously, and nothing to be worried about. In fact, it’s a clear sign that you’re getting the best benefits out of your massage. Have you ever wondered what causes it, though? Here are a few of the scientific reasons behind it.

Getting the blood flowing

Massage has a major impact on your circulatory system, helping your body to move blood around your body more effectively. The pressure provided by an expert masseuse may help to force blood through congested areas that don’t ordinarily get a regular supply of the red stuff, helping to clear blockages and bringing fresh oxygen and energy to muscles which have previously been starved of both. It’s effectively a toned-down version of the ‘pins and needles’ sensation you get from standing up after you’ve been sat down on your leg for a while.

Getting on your nerves

Your muscular system makes up 40 per cent of your body and contains billions of nerve endings. These both detect sensory input and receive instructions from our mind, activating muscle fibres in order to move our bodies. When you have a massage at a Phuket spa, your muscles are being moved without any instructions from the brain and are receiving a lot of sensory input, which has a noticeable affect on those nerve endings.

Getting de-stressed

Everyone knows that a good massage is the ultimate solution to stress, right? Well, that process alone is enough to cause tingles, indirectly. The removal of stress relieves muscle tension, untying those knots in your shoulders, neck and back. This puts less pressure on nerves and blood vessels in those areas, leading to improved circulation and a change in sensation for the nerves, both of which cause tingles.

How to get tingles

The degree of tingling you’re likely to experience after a massage depends a lot on the type of massage. Those which involve a lot of pressure applied for a longer time are more likely to stimulate your nerve endings and improve your blood flow. Something like a good Thai massage from a Phuket spa will often have the desired effect, especially if you make it a two-hour session.