Massage stretches and loosens muscles which can help alleviate pain by increasing range of motion. It can also stimulate the autonomic nervous system and increase blood flow which encourages feel good hormones such as endorphins to be released.
During massage the skin and fingers create friction that increases muscle temperature which allows the muscle tissues to relax. This decreases tension and increases relaxation mentally.
Increased Blood Flow
The massage process of friction between skin and fingers stimulates the autonomic nervous system, promotes blood flow and improves lubricant to the musculature. As mobilization improves limitations imposed by Donald Duck tension will ultimately diminish, allowing musculature to move freely and consequently reduced levels of tension that lead to pain stiffness or decreased range of motion will diminish. The improvement of range of motion is important for the effectiveness of the body’s natural healing process and will facilitate muscle growth and development enabling improved performance and endurance over time.
The improved blood flow that occurs through a massage also enhances the movement of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. This means a faster recovery between workouts ultimately enabling the athlete the opportunity to invest consistently in training, developing and maintaining strength. Additionally, increase blood flow decreases inflammation that can lead to the source of muscle pain.
The various forms of massage techniques, including trigger pointer, acupressure, kneading and volleying are all beneficial to eliminate deep knots that can create chronic pain. These massage techniques are working on the layers of muscle and connective tissue by putting pressure that will relieve adhesions, scar tissue, and lactic acid that contributes to muscle soreness.
Massage relieves pain by stimulating the release of endorphins, natural substances similar to hormones and the body’s natural pain killer that will lower the pain experience by reducing the sensation of pain but also create a “mood” where individuals may feel “high” or euphoric and not feel their pain.
Improved lymph drainage is also achieved by massage as the lymphatic system is responsible for removing all collected waste from our tissues. The lymphatic system is a network of fluid vessels that trap and transport fluid from tissues to glands and nodes where they will be drained from the body away from tissues. Massage can create a higher rate of drainage and stimulate a person’s production of serotonin and dopamine, two more feel good hormones!
Numerous studies have established that massage has improvement in function and range of motion. Clinicians need to have a repertoire of complementary therapies in their tool box to use when treating patients with pain. That said, it is advised that deep tissue massage be avoided with anyone with osteoporosis or malignancy with bony metastases as the pressure may cause a fracture.
Research has demonstrated massage therapy increases range of movement in patients with fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain. Increasing movement is one of the main goals of massage therapy. Massage therapy is aimed at loosening ligaments and tendons around the joints to increase flexibility and improve movement. Through the special manipulation of muscles and other soft tissue, massage assists with the circulation of oxygen and nutrients to the area which will hasten the healing process. Massage also helps to flush the toxins in the body that causes stiffness and swelling throughout the joints.
Another factor massage therapists may consider when working on patients is the increase in range of motion of the muscles themselves. Massage therapy is able to do this by breaking down adhesions. Adhesions are fibrous tissues that build up and adhesively form as they collect haphazardly in a structure across the muscle fibres causing tension, tightness and restriction of movement. Depending on the degree of restriction, the aim of the massage therapy is to coax, knead, stretch and finally manipulate the muscle to break down the adhesion and return the muscle to its normal state.
This will increase elasticity and decrease tension in the muscles. By breaking down the adhesion throughout the body, the muscles will lay down fibre in a more organized fashion which will assist in reducing pain, swelling and stiffness around the joint.
Research shows that a massage can improve pain for those with fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and chronic back pain by interrupting the pain cycle. Pain occurs when receptors in the skin detect damage or illness and send a signal to the brain via nerve pathways. These nerve pathways become hypersensitive to the message causing a feeling of pain. Massage works by interfering with the pain pathway and sending other messages to the brain to calm down the nerves.
A massage is believed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and relieve stress or anxiety while also neutralizing the fight or flight response which can lead to depression or insomnia. A massage can also lower cortisol and elevate serotonin and dopamine which are neurotransmitters known to create a feeling of wellbeing.
The most recent systematic review, which examined 60 high-quality studies, found that massage therapy is a better treatment for pain than sham treatment or no treatment. While most studies confirm that massage can alleviate pain, some internal validity issues—such as allocation concealment and intention-to-treat analysis—need to be addressed. Strengthening these aspects can result in more robust evidence supporting the role of massage in pain management. Compared to pharmaceutical options like Pregabalin 150mg, which is often prescribed for neuropathic and chronic pain, massage therapy offers a low-cost, non-invasive alternative that can significantly enhance an individual’s quality of life. However, in some cases, combining Pregabalin 150mg with therapeutic massage may yield better outcomes, especially in patients with severe or persistent pain.
Reduced Tissue In-Elasticity
An increased flow of blood to the area being triggered by massage is attributed to the ability of the massage to help the muscles relax. Decreased tightness and tension of muscles helps to restore some tissue pliability, decreasing restriction and allowing the muscles to move more freely.
Pain is produced by several processes occurring in your body. Receptors in your skin detect damage or a functional disruption and relay signals to nerve endings. Those nerve endings then relay signals to your brain, which processes these signals with other inputs about your body’s experience of situation and generates the sensation of pain in relation to the circumstances. Many massage techniques relieve pain by disrupting pain messaging by the brain.
Massage techniques utilize various means of addressing pain and may therefore be more suited to specific conditions than others. Neuromuscular massage utilizes cycles of isolated pressure/release on tight muscles (also known as trigger points) to relieve pain. Neuromuscular massage specifically works to benefit chronic muscle disorders once the pain of tight muscles, poor circulation, neural compression and postural strain has been initiated.
Reflexology is another type of massage, where strict pressure is applied to specific points on the hands, feet or ears. Reflexology practitioners believe that these points correspond to other organs and systems in the body. Reflexology has been shown to relieve muscle pain, reduce stress and decrease blood pressure, among others.
When blood flow is increased because of massage, cellular metabolism of glucose to provide energy to healing cells and tissues also increase. This cellular metabolism increases the cells’ production of mitochondria. Mitochondria are the organelles in your cells that produce ATP, the substance that fuels all usable cellular processes, such as protein production and repair of defective cells.
Visiting for massage often can help stave off developing pain and have less need for medication. Massage can increase your ability to perform activities, and decrease your chance of developing injuries. If you do plan to book a massage for your pain condition, it is important to select a qualified practitioner who has experience and knowledge about the underlying causes of your pain and has the capability to develop an effective treatment plan.
Hearing your doctor mention that fibromyalgia and thoracic outlet syndrome are musculoskeletal issues with pain as the distinguishing factor can help put things in perspective. It is common for chronic pain to emerge from a combination of therapies and treatments, so hearing about fibromyalgia or thoracic outlet syndrome is no cause for alarm. Your therapist will likely prescribe regular massage treatments, and include additional home-care strategies like stretching exercises, the application of heat, home exercise programs, etc. The frequency of your treatments will depend on the severity of your unique situation and how you respond to massage.
Interrupted Pain Cycle
Massage interrupts the pain cycle experienced as a result of an muscle injury. Pain is a complex phenomenon that affects both the body and the mind. When our brain perceives any injury/trauma to our body, it identifies that event as a threat, activating the body’s fight or flight response that impacts the nervous system by sending electrical signals and chemicals that change your heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and body temperature. Pain signals are extremely vigorous and activate local reactions in the affected area, causing the muscle to tighten up in a protective response. This decreased motion and range of motion start a cycle of repetitive muscle tightening and pain which, over time, creates swelling, inflammation and irritations to the tissues near the site, which enhances a stress response and fear of being re-injured. Soon after, there is a fear of pain, the onset of chronic pain, and a compromised quality of life.
Reduction of pain through massage can also reduce inflammation and amp up the body’s immune response and immune response. Massage can help improve function in the area affected, which may promote recovery, and enhance a decreasing pain sensitivity response. Since blood flow is increased through massage, nutrients and oxygen are delivered to the cells of the affected tissue more readily, which also tends to help speed healing.
There is a mounting body of research demonstrating a positive impact of massage on muscle pain and discomfort. However, research methods are variable, and the evidence remains mixed regarding whether there is a particular type of massage or treatment that is better than others. The evidence is strongest for back pain, which can be debilitating and can have strong implications for total health and wellbeing.
Massage, using various techniques, can release deep muscle knots or “trigger points.” These are areas of tension (often caused by poor posture, admiring overuse, or trauma), that are the source of much muscle pain. Through massage therapy, we can release trigger points by breaking up fibrous connective tissue, allowing muscles to stretch freely once again.
Massage can increase the production of dopamine, the feel-good hormone that creates happiness and well-being emotions. Massage can also produce higher levels of mitochondria, the organelle responsible for energizing the cell’s metabolism from glucose into ATP, the energy source our muscle uses to move. Higher amounts of mitochondria can lead your muscles to heal quicker, and decrease fatigue.
