Massage and soft tissue therapy are commonly used techniques at our clinic. Massage has many benefits especially with regards to injury management, recovery and rehabilitation.
Massage creates a relaxation response in your body which actually slows your heart, breathing rate and reduces your stress hormones. Studies also show that massage increases the levels of serotonin (the feel good chemical in your brain) making you feel relaxed, happier and in less pain. This response may help with the physical effects of stress, high blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, and digestive disorders.
Massage also generates a physical response. Most people have some stiffness and tension in their muscles especially if they have an injury or are stressed. This can lead to both local and referred pain, as well as reducing the effectiveness of the tight muscle. This tension/muscle spasm can also cause nerve compression and reduce blood flow – a common cause of headaches.
Massage from our practitioners can help to reduce the tension and stress in your muscles by breaking up adhesions between the individual muscle fibres allowing them to glide over each other more easily. This leads to an increase in blood flow removing toxins like lactic acid and helping reduce the pain associated with the tight muscles.
References:
Fritz, Sandra. (2008). Fundamentals of Therapeutic Massage. St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc.
Yates, John. (2004). A Physician’s Guide to Therapeutic Massage, Third Edition. Ontario, Canada: Curties-Overzet Publications, Inc.
