According to the Mayo Clinic, the benefits of massage therapy include stress relief, pain reduction, and an improved ability to cope with anxiety and depression. Deep tissue massage is a common type of massage that uses slow, forceful strokes to treat your deeper muscle layers and connective tissue, and is often used to treat muscle damage resulting from injuries. Preparation for, and insight into, deep tissue massage can help you maximize your benefits and healing potential.
Hydration
Post-massage water consumption is recommended by many massage therapists, according to In Touch Bodywork, a Manhattan-based massage therapy center. Deep tissue massage involves muscle manipulation, which results in the loss of fluid and electrolytes from your cells, just like what you experience during exercise. By consuming water immediately after your session, there's a greater likelihood that massage-induced muscle pain and soreness will be lessened. Drinking water will also help you flush any cellular waste products that were mobilized during your deep tissue massage.
Breathing
Because deep tissue massage techniques often are more vigorous or aggressive than other massage techniques, it's important that you adopt proper breathing methods during your treatment, according to the website Massage-Therapy-Benefits.net. Your massage therapist may ask you to breathe deeply at various points during your massage, especially when they're working on tight areas or trigger points---painful bands or nodules within a muscle. Deep breathing, especially nose breathing, can help your muscles relax, and can help you manage momentary discomfort that might otherwise be intolerable.
Communication & Patience
In order for you to realize the maximum benefits of deep tissue massage, it's important for you to communicate with your massage therapist so that trust can be built, according to the website AltMD.com. Communicating your reasons for seeking treatment, your pain threshold, your medical condition(s) and any concerns you might have will help your massage therapist appropriately gauge the intensity and duration of your treatment. Often, chronic muscle-related injuries take a long time to heal, as scar tissue can build up over time and create adhesions in your muscles and connective tissues. It's important for you to have realistic expectations about your progress and recovery. It takes time to break a pain cycle that's been in place for months or even years, so be patient and stick with it.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Massage: Get in touch with its many health benefits
- InTouchBodyworkerNYC: The Importance of Post Massage Hydration
- Massage-Therapy-Benefits: Deep Tissue Massage: Therapeutic Massage Provides Chronic Pain Relie
- AltMD: Getting The Most From Your Massage Requires Communication Between The Massage Client and Massage Therapist
Member Comments