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Muscle Injury

Benefits of Routine Therapeutic Massage

massage therapist rubbing a clients back with forearm

Therapeutic massage offers many potential health benefits including increased blood flood and circulation, decreased tension in the muscles, and increased endorphin levels. These benefits are helpful in the healing process by bringing nutrition to muscles and easing anxiety to reduce pain and speed recovery. However, one session of therapeutic massage may not be enough. Routine therapeutic massages can have significant additional benefits.

Prevention of Injury

Massage can be a very powerful asset for preventive care. By seeing a massage therapist regularly, you can prevent minor skeletomuscular injuries from becoming major problems that could lead to loss of mobility or flexibility later in life. Therapeutic massage specifically works to lengthen muscles that are stuck in a pattern of chronic shortening. If you’re worried about the cost of regular massage sessions, consider how costly prescription drugs, doctor visits, and surgeries would be. The cost of prevention may be better than the cost of a cure.

Improved Posture

Poor posture often develops over time as a compensation related to joint and muscle discomfort. Routine therapeutic massage combats this by loosening muscles. It also provides relaxation for joints. This allows the body to return to its natural position.

Promotion of Circulation

Therapeutic massages help blood and other essential body fluids to flow throughout the body. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to organs and muscles within the body for optimal functioning. Lymph is a fluid that carries away toxins and impurities from tissues. A regular massage routine could help to lower blood pressure, potentially preventing chronic illnesses.

Strengthened Immune System

Therapeutic massages can help boost your immune system by increasing the activity level of the body’s defensive cells. Routine massage treatments promote the body’s ability to naturally fight bacteria and infection. If you are always getting sick, or just tend to feel “under the weather” more than most people, a regular massage routine might help you bounce back.

Can Massage Therapy Help Me?

Hands-massaging-a-back

Generally, people use massage for either general relaxation and wellbeing, or to address a specific complaint, such as pain or limited range of motion. Research suggests massage therapy may contribute to both goals.

Some of the general benefits of massage therapy may include:

  • Physical relaxation
  • Improved circulation, which nourishes cells and improves waste elimination
  • Relief for tight muscles (knots) and other aches and pains
  • Release of nerve compression (carpel tunnel, sciatica)
  • Greater flexibility and range of motion
  • Enhanced energy and vitality
  • Some clinical styles may help heal scar tissue as well as tendon, ligament, and muscle tears

What specific conditions can massage therapy help?

Massage therapy may help the body in many ways.  Massage can relax muscle tissue, which may lead to decreased nerve compression, increased joint space, and range of motion. This may lead to reduced pain and improved function.

Massage therapy may also improve circulation, which enhances the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to muscle cells and helps remove waste products. These circulatory effects of massage may have value in the treatment of some inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis or edema (an excessive accumulation of fluid in body tissues, which may be reduced using manual lymph drainage).

Massage therapy is also thought to induce a relaxation response, which lowers the heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure; boosts the immune system, and generally decreases the physical effects of stress.

These effects suggest that massage may be helpful for a wide range of conditions.  Some of these are listed below.

Decreases pain and increases functioning in these conditions:Helps treat and manage symptoms or complications of:Other psychological,  emotional, and physical benefits:
Carpal tunnel
Sciatica
Tension headaches
Whiplash
Scoliosis
Torticollis
Tendon and muscle tears
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Varicose veins
Pregnancy-related back pain and other discomforts
Myofascial pain
Sore or overused muscles (prevents and treats)
Muscle injury (offers rehabilitation)		Gout
Rheumatoid arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Muscular dystrophies
Raynaud’s Disease
Diabetes
Hypertension and congestive heart failure
Reduces risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes autoimmune diseases		Improved mood
Reduced anxiety
Lower stress levels
Lessening of depression
Reduced anger and aggression
Improved sleep patterns and decreased sleep disturbance
Reduced fatigue
Enhances immune system
Improves athletic performance and enhances recovery

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