Does deep tissue massage work? – Explained in depth
Deep tissue massage is good for your body and your mind. It can reduce muscle pain and stiffness and help relax the body and mind by reducing stress.
Yes, it works and is effective for many conditions. Deep tissue massage is a type of massage mainly used to treat problems with the muscles and bones, like aches and sports injuries. It works on the deepest layers of your muscles and connective tissues by providing steady pressure with slow, deep strokes. When you get hurt, scar tissue forms. Deep tissue massage helps break up that scar tissue and relax muscles and tissues.
One of the best things about deep tissue massage is that it improves blood circulation. When circulation increases, more oxygen and nutrients reach your muscles. This can speed up healing and reduce the time it takes to recover from exercise. Deep tissue massage is a physical skill, but it has benefits beyond the body. A gentle touch from a person can significantly reduce your worry and anxiety, leaving you mentally refreshed and ready to face life’s challenges.
Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage
Therapeutic deep tissue massage helps the body relax and feel better by releasing pain and stress. It works on the deepest parts of the muscles, while other types of massage focus on more visible parts of the body. Here are some benefits you can get from a deep tissue massage.
Lowers Swelling and Pain
If your body gets hurt or irritated, it will naturally react with inflammation. This can cause pain, swelling, and other unpleasant symptoms. A deep tissue massage can help lessen inflammation and the symptoms that come with it. During a deep tissue massage, the therapist may put hard pressure on the hurt area to reach the deeper muscle and connective tissue layers. This pressure helps remove adhesions, or “knots,” in the muscle that can make it swell. The therapist may also use trigger point treatment to work on specific muscle knots or trigger points. Trigger point treatment is meant to make the area less painful and inflamed.
Lower Back Pain Relief
Lower back pain can be caused by many things, such as getting older and sitting for long periods, not exercising enough, or moving heavy things. It can also be caused by specific nerves, like the sciatic nerve, or major muscle groups that support this area, like the quadratus lumborum and gluteus medius. If you have problems in these areas, doing easy things like bending over or getting out of your car might be challenging. Deep tissue massaging can help sciatica by releasing tissues that may be putting pressure on nerves. These methods also help the parts of your body that support your lower back work properly again.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
There will always be stress in our lives. When your body feels danger, it releases more cortisol, a stress hormone. This sets off your “fight or flight” response. These numbers should slowly go up during the day and stay the same at night. When someone is under a lot of stress all the time, their cortisol levels stay high, which can make them gain weight, have trouble sleeping, and have other problems.
A deep tissue massage does more than just lower the amount of this stress hormone in your blood. It also fights its effects by releasing chemicals that make you feel good, such as oxytocin and serotonin. Oxytocin, your body’s “bonding hormone,” makes you feel good and helps you interact with others. Serotonin, on the other hand, can make you feel happy and calm.
Removes Scar Tissue
It is normal for the body to make scar tissue when it heals. However, if this tissue doesn’t form correctly, it can become tight, painful, and stiff. Scar tissue doesn’t have to stay that way; it can even be changed to look like healthy muscle tissue.
Deep tissue massage can break up scar tissue by improving the lymphatic system. Your therapist can break down scars under two years old and help the collagen cells and fibers return to the right place. Removing scar tissue may take some time, so you must keep going back if that is your plan.
This therapy is also recommended for people who have recently had surgery because it can help the scars form correctly. Bend Total Body also uses the Graston method to break up scar tissue and old injuries that are hard to treat.
How is a deep tissue massage done?
A deep tissue massage usually starts with lighter movements to warm up the muscles before getting into the deeper work. The massage expert will then use their hands, elbows, and forearms to focus firm pressure on specific areas. Talking to the therapist is very important during the session, so let them know if the pressure is too strong or makes you feel bad. Here is a detailed discussion.
Who Shouldn’t Get a Deep Tissue Massage?
Deep tissue massage is helpful for some people, but not all. Before making an appointment, you should talk to your doctor if you have specific health problems, such as acute inflammation, osteoporosis, or high blood pressure.
How to Keep the Therapeutic Effects of a Deep Tissue Massage?
To maintain the benefits of your deep tissue massage, drink a lot of water, do some light stretches, and do what your massage therapist tells you to do afterward. Also, getting massages often can help the effects last longer.
Final Thought
Deep tissue massage is an excellent way to enhance your health and well-being. If you get it regularly, you can reap many benefits. For example, it can reduce inflammation, improve your balance, and ease chronic muscle pain.
