Massage therapy has over the years been used for muscle relaxation and to relieve stress and tension in the body. In recent years though, researchers have discovered that use of massage therapy is effective in healing sore muscles and getting rid of pain in the body. Scientists at McMaster University in Canada recently established the effectiveness of massages to reduce inflammation of the muscles. This is possible as massage influences particular genes in the body. The research also discovered that massages on patients sitting on a massage chair or bed could have the same impact on the body as taking a powerful painkiller such as ibuprofen. More information about this research can be found in this article.
How do Massages Relieve Pain?
There are a number of ways that massages function to relieve pain. First is the increase in blood flow to stiff and aching muscles as well as joints. These aching and stiff joints are warmed by the flow of extra blood. It has also been established through research that massages can trigger the release of natural Opioids. The brain can release Opioids which are natural pain relievers when triggered to do so.
Opioids relieve the body of pains and aches, providing much needed relief. This information can be found here in great detail. Apart from Opioids, good body massages given to patients on a massage chair or bed can result in increased levels of oxytocin. Oxytocin is a feel-good hormone that helps the nerves to calm down and the person to relax and feel content. This hormone will therefore help in relaxing the muscles and the body and helps to reduce pains and aches.
Is Massage an Effective Pain Management Strategy?
It is common knowledge that deep tissue massage can help relax muscles and ease tension and pain in the body. In this same breath, more and more people are of the opinion that massages can help combat chronic pain especially that which affects the lower back. According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, it was established that massages are by far more effective in relieving pain as compared to acupuncture. According to this study comprising over 260 patients, almost 75% of them reported easing of chronic back pain through massages as compared to 46% whose pain relief came through acupuncture. This just shows how effective massages can be in relieving lower-back pain.
Is Massage Therapy Safe?
Massage therapy on the most part is a safe form of therapy that has been performed safely on the vast majority of patients. However, there are reported cases of patients who have suffered serious nerve damage or kidney damage when receiving massages so care needs to be taken in the process.
Some patients would like to know which the most effective form of massage is. While there is no clear answer on this, studies show that pressure point massage targeting the lower back is far more effective when compared to massage techniques such as the kneading and rubbing of Swedish massages with patients sitting on a special chair.