Massage is one of the most commonly used forms of complementary alternative medicine in the United States. In fact, in 2007 alone, an estimated 18 million adults in the United States used massage services, according to the National Health Interview Survey. One popular form of massage is deep tissue massage. Deep tissue massage focuses more directly on deeper layers of your muscles, as well as the connective tissue around the muscles (fascia). This targets muscle adhesions, more commonly known as knots, releasing them by breaking them up. This allows deep tissue massage to provide several benefits to the body.
Tension
When adhesions are present in the deep muscle tissue, the muscle can feel tense and uncomfortable. As deep tissue pressure is placed on the adhesion, the knot is broken up and toxins (such as lactic acid) are encouraged to leave the muscle back into the bloodstream where they can be eliminated out of the body. This helps the muscle relax.
Pain Relief
The relief of pain may result after a deep tissue massage session. Pain can often be caused by taut bands of muscles referred to as "trigger points". These trigger points can cause the affected muscle to be sensitive and emit pain throughout the body (referred pain), according to the Northwestern Sciences University. Trigger points are especially common in the shoulder, neck and back muscles. Deep tissue massage can focus on these trigger points, releasing the tautness of the muscle and reducing the referred pain emitting from the muscle.
Blood Circulation
As the massage therapist places pressure on your muscles, the pressure forces blood to move through congested areas of the muscles, increasing blood circulation into and out of the tissue. As circulation increases, the muscle is able to more easily obtain the nutrients and oxygen it needs to operate efficiently. The tissue is also better able to get rid of waste products that can contribute to muscle pain and soreness.
Mobility
Trigger points and muscle knots can limit your range of motion and flexibility because of both tension and pain. By breaking up the knots and trigger points, deep tissue massage increases how far your muscles can move while remaining pain free. This is especially beneficial for athletes or those with limited mobility due to injury or chronic muscle problems.
Member Comments