Massage increases the blood supply and nutrition to your muscles.
So what? Why do my muscles need blood supply and nutrition? How will that help my pain or stress? In order to contract and allow us to move, muscles need to break down the enzyme ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) to create energy. In order to replenish the ATP once it has been used, muscles require large amounts of oxygen and the way that oxygen is delivered to the muscles is through the blood supply. Therefore, without blood, the muscles would have no oxygen, would not be able to produce ATP and therefore would not be able to function.
Massage helps your muscles recover more quickly from exertion and fatigue.
So what? Why do I need my muscles to recover more quickly from exertion and fatigue? Gaining a greater understanding of muscle fatigue can help you learn how to recover faster and better. Muscle pain after exercise usually is the result of two components. As you exercise, lactic acid builds around a muscle, siphoning off that muscle’s supply of calcium. As you continue the exercise, the lack of calcium makes you feel as though you cannot physically repeat the exercise again. This is what creates muscle fatigue. The same strenuous exercise can also cause microscopic tears in the muscle tissue, which are then healed during the recovery process.
Massage relaxes your muscles, effectively reducing spasms, tension and cramping.
So what? Increases the blood supply and nutrition to your muscles. Massage therapy helps your muscles recover more quickly from exertion and fatigue. Relaxes your muscles, effectively reducing spasms, tension and cramping. Reduces and breaks down adhesions (knots) and fibrosis. Stretches your connective tissue. Helps to re-establish your proper muscular tone. Reduces your muscle and soft tissue pain. Supports increased work capacity and encourages your metabolism. Helps to prevent muscular atrophy (wasting from injury and paralysis).
Massage stretches your connective tissue.
So what? Ligaments are the fibrous, slightly stretchy connective tissues that hold one bone to another in the body, forming a joint. Ligaments control the range of motion of a
joint, preventing your elbow from bending backwards, for example, and stabilizing the joint so that the bones move in the proper alignment. Ligaments are composed of strands of collagen fibers. While ligaments are slightly stretchy, they are arranged in crossing patterns preventing the joint itself from becoming loose.
Book your next appointment at Tecumseh Chiropractic for Massage Therapy.