Massage increases blood flow, rids muscle of toxins
Massage increases blood flow, rids muscle of toxins
Most people are familiar with the type of massage that feels good, but therapeutic massage is much more than that. Even health care professionals often are unfamiliar with exactly how massage helps patients.
The basics: Massage increases blood flow to the particular muscles being worked, explains Dana Hasbrouck, NCMT, NMT, a nationally certified massage therapist in Atlanta. The increased blood flow, in turn, flushes out toxins such as lactic acid and other waste products that can build up in the muscles.
"You end up with muscles that feel better because they have healthy blood flowing through them instead of lactic acid and waste products just sitting there," she says. "Injuries often involve muscle tears that form scar tissue, so we go in and manually break down the scar tissue to get the muscle back to its original form, or close to it."
Massage can play a big role in getting a worker back on the job quickly, Hasbrouck says. Two of the most common work-related injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome and back injuries, can benefit from massage.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is addressed by massaging the muscles in the forearm, possibly moving up into the shoulder, chest, and upper back.
Massage, chiropractic care together
For any injury, it is likely that the massage therapist will suggest several frequent visits early on and then taper off to perhaps a weekly massage. The exact type of massage, frequency, and duration of each visit will vary according to the patient’s needs.
Massage can be a good adjunct to chiropractic care, Hasbrouck says. "Massage and chiropractic care go hand in hand," she says. "Ideally, you would have the massage therapist deal strictly with the muscles, and the chiropractor deal with the bones. Massage can also help the patient keep the adjustment longer so that you don’t have to go to chiropractor quite as often."
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