After a rigorous session in the gym or a stressful day at work, imagine indulging in a full-body massage – pure bliss, right? Of course, who wouldn’t be happy? The gentle kneading and rolling of skilled hands on your body apply pressure that rejuvenates your muscles and promotes increased blood flow. Yes, that’s the fantasy we envision when thinking of a massage.
Massage therapy is a healing practice that involves applying pressure to muscle areas experiencing pain. It is a therapeutic technique where the body’s soft tissues are manipulated to alleviate muscle tension and promote relaxation. Regardless of the specific type, the common thread in any massage is the application of pressure, kneading, or rubbing—either through skilled hands or with the assistance of massage machines.
How is Massage Performed?
Massage can be performed in various ways, and while one can address minor issues like shoulder pain or tightness independently, certain muscle parts, like the back or upper back, may be challenging to reach. In such cases, professional help can be more effective than self-practice.
Massage therapists typically begin by using some form of oil or gel. These substances may include natural pain relievers or medically enhanced over-the-counter options. The use of oils or gels serves multiple purposes, such as providing a smooth surface (preventing excessive friction) for the massager to glide over the skin, enhancing the overall massage experience.
There are different types of massages, each serving specific purposes. For example, Swedish massage is a gentle technique often used for relaxation, while deep tissue massage is more intense and focuses on specific areas to alleviate deeper layers of muscle tension and pain.
Incorporating regular massages into a wellness routine can offer a myriad of physical and mental health benefits, making it a valued component of alternative medicine.
Let's delve into some of the most enjoyed benefits of massage
1. Stress Relief and Relaxation
One of the most cherished benefits of massage therapy is its positive impact on the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls the Heart Rate Variability(HRV) and also regulates your heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and breathing.
Massage influences our ANS by activating sensory receptors which helps relieve pain, reducing stress and tension in the body. Massage helps in down-regulation of sympathetic activity, allowing suppression of stress hormones like cortisol and norepinephrine, promoting a sense of calm and relaxation. This can be beneficial for individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, and high levels of stress in their daily lives.
2. Elimination of Muscular Pain
Everyday tasks, workouts, and long sittings can cause muscle strain. Prolonged muscle immobility leads to stiffness, resulting in localized or systemic discomfort and swelling. Expert massages are essential for relaxing tightened muscles and easing agony. It is vital to handle individuals suffering from persistent discomfort sensitively since those with conditions like lower back issues, cervical spine difficulties, or osteoarthritis might react poorly to self-massage methods. A skilled massage therapist can offer helpful additional care by applying controlled force to afflicted regions to lessen pain and increase flexibility.
3. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
Muscle soreness, particularly delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), is a common challenge faced by athletes which could happen due to muscle microtrauma or muscle deterioration triggered by excessive repetitive motions while exercising. DOMS typically emerges a day or two after exercise, manifesting symptoms ranging from mild muscle pain to severe discomfort even upon touch. Additional symptoms include soreness, stiffness, and fatigue, often lingering for several days.
Massage serves as an excellent strategy to alleviate DOMS symptoms and restore optimal muscle functioning. Delaying the application of massage can impede the recovery process, thus to reap the benefits of massage for DOMS, it is crucial to introduce massage as soon as possible and remain consistent for two to three days.
DOMS can be triggered by various factors, such as resuming exercise after a prolonged period, engaging in rigorous workouts, adopting unusual exercise methods, experiencing muscle strain, or sustaining an injury. The intensity and duration of the performed exercises also significantly influence muscle soreness and the onset of DOMS.
4. Reduced Muscle Tension
Muscular tension, characterized by stiffness or rigidity in the muscles, often results in the formation of lumps or knots that can be felt externally due to muscle contraction. Prolonged muscle tension can lead to discomfort and reduced flexibility. Massage plays a crucial role in alleviating tense muscles by increasing muscle temperature and enhancing blood flow. This, in turn, relieves tension, promoting a greater range of motion and flexibility.
Different types of massage, including superficial and deep tissue massage, contribute to enhancing tissue elasticity and loosening the muscles. The targeted application of massage techniques helps address muscle tension, providing relief and improving overall muscle function.
5. Improved Circulation
The amount of pressure used during a massage depends on various factors, but there is a scientific consensus that applying pressure to tense muscles can noticeably enhance blood flow in those areas. When massage is applied, vasodilation occurs, which means expansion of blood vessels and that may occur due to heat generated while massaging or due to pulling and squeezing of soft tissue during the massage.
By dilating the blood vessels, massage therapy helps direct blood toward regions experiencing restricted movement, discomfort, swelling, or impaired circulation. Individuals struggling with poor blood flow may find significant relief through regular massages, as improved circulation facilitates the efficient transportation of oxygen and crucial nutrients to their cells, tissues, and organs, thereby promoting a more rapid recovery process.
6. Elimination of Toxins
During the energy production process, metabolic waste is generated along with other daily waste products, such as dead cells and bacteria, that our body produces. To cleanse these waste materials, our body relies on the lymphatic system – a specialized recycling system with vessels known as lymphatics. These vessels collect the waste materials, transporting them back toward the heart and eventually out of the body through small nodules called lymph nodes.
Massage therapy, with its strategic manipulation of muscles and tissues, plays a pivotal role in facilitating lymphatic drainage. By enhancing circulation and stimulating the lymphatic system, massage aids in the efficient removal of metabolic waste. The rhythmic movements and pressure applied during a massage act as a catalyst for the lymphatic system, supporting its natural function and contributing to the body’s detoxification process. When waste products build up in our muscles they can get easily fatigued, removal of this waste from our body makes our muscles more relieved and relaxed, thus experiencing faster recovery.
7. Promotion of Better Sleep
Massage not only alleviates physical discomfort but also provides a therapeutic impact on mental well-being. The stress accumulated throughout the day can often disrupt a good night’s sleep, turning relaxation into a distant dream. However, a simple massage can be a soothing remedy, allowing one to unwind and sleep like a baby.
Studies show that getting a massage can make your body produce more serotonin, a chemical in your brain that helps you feel calm and happy. When your body has more serotonin, it makes more melatonin, which is the hormone that helps you fall asleep faster and stay asleep better. So, getting a massage can help you sleep better and feel more relaxed.
8. Soft Tissue Injuries
The stuff inside our bodies that isn’t bones is called ‘soft tissues.’ Soft tissues include fat, muscle, nerves, blood vessels, ligaments, tendons, and other fibrous tissues that work together to connect, envelope, support, and move surrounding structures. Anyone either a common man or an athlete, due to their everyday activities may get soft tissue injuries including microscopic damage, muscle and connective tissue imbalances, contusions (bruises), sprains, tendonitis, bursitis, stress injuries, and strains.
Fortunately, massage therapy has been shown to effectively treat many of these issues by reducing swelling, promoting recovery, and improving circulation. A skilled massage practitioner may assist in restoring proper functioning and alleviating pain through targeted manipulation of the affected areas using appropriate techniques and pressure levels, if not treated these injuries may lead to alter and limit your daily activities.
9. Reduces Signs of Aging
Massage contributes to a reduction in signs of aging by stimulating muscles, leading to increased skin blood flow and promoting collagen production. After a massage, especially a facial massage, the skin often appears firmer and plumper. The mechanical stimulus of massage can stimulate cell renewal, enhancing the texture and tone of the skin and addressing signs of premature aging such as wrinkles. By influencing cell behavior, massage becomes a valuable tool for improving skin health and combating the visible effects of aging.
10. Release Happiness Hormones
Hormones are the body’s chemical messenger and are produced by various glands across our body, as these hormones are released into the bloodstream they travel to organs or tissues to alter our body’s functioning and other important processes.
The group of hormones such as serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin, promote happiness and pleasure and are called “feel-good hormones. We can boost the levels of these hormones by massage therapy and also reduce the production of stress hormones such as adrenalin, cortisol, and norepinephrine.
Serotonin
Regulates mood, emotions, and is responsible for happiness.
- Exposure to sunlight
- Regular exercise
- Meditation
Dopamine
Plays a role in motivation, reward, and pleasure.
- Setting and achieving goals
- Engaging in creative activities
- Enjoying music and art
Oxytocin
Helps bond with loved ones it’s often called the “love hormone”
- Hugging and physical touch
- Positive social interactions
- Bonding with loved ones
Endorphins
Known as the body’s natural painkillers and promote pleasure
- Exercise or physical activity
- Laughter and humor
- Eating dark chocolate
11. High Blood Pressure Relief
“The silent killer,” also known as high blood pressure or hypertension, is a pervasive and potentially dangerous condition affecting people worldwide. It often creeps up without warning signs, posing a serious risk for heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. While massage may not provide a complete solution to eradicate hypertension, it offers several benefits.
Firstly, it aids in reducing stress levels by promoting the release of feel-good hormones and lowering cortisol, a primary contributor to high blood pressure.
Secondly, as we know our heart pumps and delivers oxygenated blood throughout our body, but sometimes, due to some problems in the body, mainly high cholesterol, a sedentary lifestyle, artery blockage or narrowing, and other heart problems, our heart has to work harder to pump the blood.
Thus, as the heart pushes blood through arteries, it puts more pressure on artery walls, which means blood moves through your arteries at a higher pressure than normal. Massage can assist by improving circulation and enhancing blood flow, which may contribute to lowering blood pressure over time.
12. Correction of Postural Imbalances
Numerous methods, including myofascial release, trigger point therapy, and deep tissue massage, help to promote joint flexibility by releasing tension in the particular muscles that are causing the imbalance. Regular massage therapy can also assist in realigning the body more completely, which can help to avoid postural abnormalities in the future. Today individuals are sitting on office chairs for prolonged times which is the main cause of postural imbalance. Athletes like runners, weightlifters, and almost every sports person if they want to improve in their game and stay injury-free must have good posture. Massage therapy is a great way that aids with posture, ease pain and suffering, and enhance the body’s general stability and balance.
13. Venous Insufficiency
Venous insufficiency occurs when tiny valves in our veins, designed to prevent the backflow of blood, struggle to work effectively. These valves ensure that blood flows back towards the heart from the legs, countering the pull of gravity. When this flow is compromised, meaning veins have difficulty carrying blood back from the limbs to the heart, it results in venous insufficiency. The ineffective blood flow, often due to weakened or malfunctioning valves, can lead to symptoms such as leg pain, swelling, cramping, and varicose veins. Causes of venous insufficiency may include prolonged sitting, blood clots, weak muscles, obesity, or other preexisting conditions.
Massage therapies, including vascular massage therapy and compression therapy, prove effective in improving blood flow in the legs. Massage contributes to these therapeutic effects by promoting vasodilation, which increases the diameter of blood vessels and enhances blood flow.
14. Take Care of a Few Things Before a Massage Session
While massage offers a great way to de-stress and experience euphoria, it’s crucial to consider individual health conditions. If you’re a healthy individual without chronic complications, you’re likely ready to enjoy the benefits and incorporate massages into your routine. However, for those dealing with serious health conditions, it’s imperative to communicate these issues with your therapist before the session. This information allows the therapist to tailor the massage session accordingly. Not all massage techniques suitable for one person may be applicable to another. To ensure safety and effectiveness, it’s vital to inform your therapist about any areas of discomfort or pain so they can focus on those specific areas during the session.
When massage should not be performed
- During pregnancy
- If there are any skin rashes, cuts, or infections present
- If there are any open wounds, rashes, or severe sunburns
- If there are suspected fractures or broken bones
- If suffering from a life-threatening illness
- If having a fever or a contagious disease such as a cold or flu
- If the individual is under the influence of drugs
Always consult with a healthcare professional before receiving a massage, especially if you have any pre-existing medical conditions or are taking any medications.
