Massage: 13 New Studies On Harm And Benefit

Massage - the latest research on the properties of therapeutic massage of the back, collarbone area, deep tissue massage, which prove the benefits and harms of therapeutic massage.

Since ancient times, people have resorted to massage for the treatment of certain diseases, to improve well-being, restore strength and muscles, to rehabilitate after injuries, and reduce stress. In the USA, massage was once even part of the training program for nurses. However, in some cases it can harm health.

First a bit of history. Massage was known as early as the third millennium BC. Earlier, they were used in China, and then in Japan, India, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. In Europe, massage began to be actively used for medical and health purposes during the Renaissance. What benefit does it bring to human health?

Benefits of massage

Reduces stress

Massage slows down the heart rate and breathing, relaxes the muscles, and thus it helps to get rid of stress. In addition, massage therapy reduces blood pressure, which can cause a stressful state.

Stress has several symptoms, including headaches, shoulder and neck tension. "Swedish" massage and Japanese Shiatsu point massage can effectively combat these symptoms.

 

 

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Relieves muscle pain

There is enough scientific evidence that massage can relieve or completely relieve muscle pain. Moreover, it is also useful for chronic pain after injuries. Perhaps this is due to the fact that during and after the massage, the production of tiny peptide information molecules called cytokines in the body is noticeably reduced. Thanks to this, cells are restored twice as fast, as a result of which pain in damaged muscles passes.

 

 

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Improves sleep

In today's world, with its busy work schedule, constant stress, many people experience a lack of sleep. Doctors recommend sleeping 7-8 hours a day, however, most of us do not follow this advice. Massage can help with sleep problems, and this is an undeniable fact.

Increases immunity

In 2010, an article was published in the journal Alternative and Complementary Medicine, which reported that massage therapy increases the number of white blood cells, leukocytes (they play an important role in protecting the body from disease) and improves immune function in people with HIV infection.

 

 

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Reduces headache

The next time you have a headache for a long time, try a massage. Spanish scientists from the University of Granada are sure that just one session of such therapy significantly improves the well-being of people with chronic pain.

Chronic lower back pain

American scientists from the Group Health Research Institute, in their article published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, claim that massage can be useful for chronic lower back pain. Scientists analyzed the benefits of two types of massage (structural massage and "Swedish" massage) for 400 people with chronic low back pain. The experiment lasted 10 weeks. As a result, it turned out that both types of massage had a positive effect on the well-being of the volunteers - back pain decreased or disappeared altogether. In addition, thanks to massage therapy, people began to sleep longer and lead a more active lifestyle.

 

 

Back massage watch online Massage may be harmful

In many cases, after a therapeutic massage, a person feels discomfort, slight malaise, dizziness. This is a minor side effect. It passes quickly. In any case, you need to tell the massage therapist about it.

Blood clots

The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) warns that caution should be exercised when massaging people with high blood pressure. Due to high pressure in the arteries, plaques form. During the massage, they can be damaged, as a result of which a blood clot will enter the blood. Sometimes it can reach the heart or brain, increasing the risk of death. Of course, such cases are very rare. Nevertheless, people with high blood pressure, and there are actually a lot of them, should consult a doctor before starting to visit a massage therapist.

People with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) should pay special attention to possible dangerous consequences of massage, as the risk of blood clots moving in them is particularly high. By the way, according to the doctors of the American Mayo Clinic, most people with DVT do not even know about their disease.

Nerve damage

In some types of massage (for example, deep tissue massage), the massage therapist applies pressure to the skin in order to manipulate the muscles and connective tissue. Sometimes this pressure is too strong, and the client has temporary nerve damage. Most often, this happens when the massage therapist has little experience. The nerve usually recovers on its own after a short period of time.

Skin infection

Some types of skin infection (herpes simplex, ringworm, etc.) can be transmitted by a massage therapist during therapy if he does not know about these diseases. In general, massage is not recommended for most skin diseases. There are many reasons. For example, during a massage, a skin disease can spread to other parts of the body.

Painful sensations

During intensive massage, a person may feel pain. The sensation of pain is influenced by many factors, including emotional and psychological. There are people with a very low "pain threshold". Therefore, sometimes massage can lead to unpleasant sensations. In this case, you should resort to a lighter type of this therapy.

Massage poisoning

The reality is that the body is sometimes poisoned through massage. Very rarely, but it happens. A paradox, isn't it? The fact is that during massage therapy, muscles are damaged and rhabdomyolysis syndrome occurs in a mild form, which is a myopathy and is characterized by the destruction of muscle tissue cells, a sharp increase in the level of creatine kinase and myoglobin, and myoglobinuria. As a result, a person develops acute kidney failure.

Massage and just intense exercise can cause a mild form of rhabdomyolysis that does not require medical intervention.

 

Allergy to massage oils

Massage therapists often use special oils, thanks to which the best effect of the therapy is achieved. However, some people may be allergic to them. In this case, you should ask the massage therapist to take another type of oil or not to use it at all.

In what cases is massage not recommended?

In case of cancer, broken bones, blood clots, burns, some forms of arthritis and osteoporosis, skin rashes, skin infections, massage cannot be done. If you have these or any other serious diseases, but you still want to get a few massage sessions, then in this case, first consult a doctor.

Many massage therapists who practice therapeutic massage are specially trained in how to help people with cancer and other serious diseases.