Bodywork refers to any therapy that's performed on your body's tissues or structures to alter, in a favorable way, the state of your tissues or any musculoskeletal conditions from which you might be suffering. While chiropractors, rolfers and reiki practitioners are all considered to be bodyworkers, a massage therapist is the professional that most people associate with the practice of soft tissue manipulation for the purposes of health. According to the American Massage Therapy Association, massage therapy addresses serious health issues by reducing or relieving symptoms associated with a variety of conditions.
Improved Circulation
The Mayo Clinic states that enhanced circulation is one of the most significant physical health benefits of massage therapy, and is especially important for senior citizens, many of whom possess poor circulation. Diabetics frequently suffer from circulation-related foot and lower leg problems, and massage therapy helps prevent complications in diabetics, such as leg ulcers and gangrene, according to AltMedicineZone.com. Improved blood circulation means more rapid healing following a soft tissue injury, as the increased blood flow to your tissues delivers important nutrients and helps remove deleterious metabolic byproducts.
Massage therapy also improves your lymphatic circulation. Your lymphatic circulation assists toxin removal from your body. Together, enhanced blood and lymph circulation can help speed your recovery from injury and boost your vitality.
Decreased Stiffness and Pain
Muscle and joint aches and stiffness are common complaints, especially among athletes and senior citizens. A licensed massage therapist bodyworker will use a variety of techniques--some gentle, others more vigorous, depending on your problem and your pain threshold--such as tapping, rubbing, kneading, skin rolling, and sustained pressure to mobilize and manipulate your aching muscles and their associated tendons. It's common for your joints to shift during a massage therapy bodywork session too, which may help reduce your joint pain or discomfort. MassageTherapy101.com suggests that receiving massage therapy may improve your range of motion by lowering inflammation and pain around your injured joints. Improving your range of motion can, in turn, help improve your joint mobility, which means that you can more easily perform activities of daily living in a pain-free state.
Reduction of Scar Tissue and Adhesions
It's common for you to experience pain, swelling and inflammation following a muscle injury, especially a muscle tear. If your injury is not treated following trauma, your body will form scar tissue around the injury to heal your lesion. Your formation of scar tissue is an expected and important response to soft tissue trauma, but often your body overdoes it, haphazardly putting down more scar tissue than what's necessary. Your haphazardly-formed scar tissue may adhere to your surrounding tissues, such as your muscles and fascia, to create "myofascial" adhesions. Myofascial adhesions may limit your muscle and joint range of motion and impinge on your nerves and blood vessels. Myofascial-Release.com suggests that myofascial adhesions may even result in pain and joint dysfunction. A licensed massage therapy bodyworker, using a variety of soft tissue techniques, can locate and reduce your scar tissue adhesions, which will help combat your pain and improve mobility in your injured joint or muscle.
References
- American Massage Therapy Association: Massage Therapy Research Fact Sheet
- Mayo Clinic: Massage: Get In Touch With Its Many Health Benefits
- AltMedicineZone.com: Geriatric Massage To Improve Circulation In The Elderly
- MassageTherapy101.com: Massage Therapy For Seniors
- Myofascial-Release.com: Who Can Benefit From Myofascial Release?
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