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Maintaining a Healthy Balance Through Massage

The effects of massage are very beneficial in maintaining muscular balance and preventing injuries no matter what your age.  Flexibility and relaxation of muscles increase and stress levels in the body decrease.

By increasing blood and nutrient flow to the body’s tissues, we are better able to aid our body in healing and coping during times of stress.  By keeping our body healthy, our psychological state is also given positive reinforcement and, therefore, we are often better able to cope with the tasks and pressures of daily living, such as the demands of family, work, school, and so on.

The main purpose of massage therapy is prevention of injury.  When tissues are receiving the necessary components (blood, oxygen, nutrients), they are less likely to experience microtearing or strains.  If an injury does occur, it may not be as severe as it would in tissues with decreased circulation and the injury often heals more quickly.  Massage also focuses on rehabilitating injured muscles and tissues in order to help prevent repeat injuries.  Rehabilitation massage aims to prevent a buildup up of scar tissue, which can restrict the flow of essential components, thus causing pain and decreased range of motion.

When muscles are in a prolonged contraction (shortened position) or have fascial restrictions, blood and oxygen supplies are limited from entering the tissues, resulting in pain.  Therefore, massage is an effective tool in pain management…
- pain can be reduced by breaking down restrictions and allows blood and oxygen to return to the site.
- it increases range of motion and decreases trigger points, which can affect blood and lymphatic circulation through tissues.
- it decreases blood pressure by decreasing some of the muscular contractions restricting blood and oxygen flow.
- respiratory function can be improved by mobilizing rib movement and clearing mucus from the lungs.
- it helps maintain a healthy digestive system by relieving constipation.
- strengthening of the body’s natural immune defences by increasing  lymphatic flow, which increases circulation of white blood cells and other
natural fighter cells throughout the body to help protect against illness.
- it helps maintain muscular flexibility during pregnancy, which is important during labour itself.
- headaches and facial pain caused by TMJ (temporomandibular joint) dysfunction can be reduced.

Laura Knight, RMT