Massage therapy is widely used during skeletal muscle physical rehabilitation to relieve pain and speed recovery. Although there is evidence that massage can help with pain in damaged muscles, it is unclear how massage affects cellular function.

According to Dr Mark Tarnopolsky, a researcher at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, and lead author of a paper about the research, the finding "provides clear evidence that massage warrants further study as a cure for injuries and chronic disorders."

After exercise-induced muscle injury, the authors gave 11 young male participants either massage therapy or no care to their quadriceps.
Tarnopolsky, who has spent decades studying the cellular effects of exercise, took muscle biopsies in both quadriceps (vastus lateralis) of healthy young men before and after strenuous exercise, as well as a third time after massaging only one leg in each athlete.

Tarnopolsky and his team discovered that massage therapy decreased exercise-related inflammation by dampening the function of a protein called NF-kB by comparing tissues from each subject's massaged leg to tissues from his unmassaged leg.

Massage also seemed to aid cell recovery by increasing levels of PGC-1alpha. This protein promotes the development of new mitochondria, which are tiny organelles within cells essential for muscle energy generation and adaptation to endurance exercise.

Massage had an impact on other proteins that played similar roles. The research, which was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, was the first to delve into the fundamentals of cellular biology.

We knew something was wrong, but we couldn't figure out what it was a decade ago because the technology to probe the body's most minor structures didn't exist.

How does massage therapy affect the body?

While scientific evidence on whether massage therapy works and, if so, how it works is minimal, there is evidence that massage therapy can help some patients. Tantric massage is one of the best massages. It is also too early to draw any conclusions regarding its efficacy for particular health conditions.

State anxiety

However, research supports the general conclusion that massage therapy is reliable, according to one study. A single session of massage therapy can reduce "state anxiety" blood pressure, and heart rate, and multiple sessions can reduce "trait anxiety" depression, and pain, according to the studies included in the study. Furthermore, recent research suggests that massage may help with a variety of conditions.

Low-back pain

According to a 2008 study of 13 clinical trials, massage can be beneficial for chronic low-back pain when patients with chronic low-back pain do not respond to traditional therapy, the American Pain Society.

The American College of Physicians published clinical practice recommendations in 2007 recommending that physicians consider using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments such as massage (acupuncture, chiropractic, radical relaxation, and yoga).

Hospice patients

Massage can help alleviate pain and improve mood for hospice patients with advanced cancer, according to a multisite study of more than 300 hospice patients with advanced cancer.

Therapeutic massage was found to be more effective than a self-care book in improving function and alleviating symptoms in a study of 64 patients with chronic neck pain.

Massage therapy has a variety of ideas on how it affects the body. Massage, for example, can provide stimulation that helps to block pain signals sent to the brain, according to the "gate control theory."

Musculoskeletal System

Our bodies' bones, muscles, tendons, cartilage, ligaments, connective tissue, and joints are all part of the musculoskeletal system. This physiological system gives our bodies shape, support, and stability and allows us to move on command (our muscles contract to move the bone attached to the joint). The following is a list of massage's benefits and positive effects on the musculoskeletal system:

Massage improves circulation to and from the muscles, which increases nutrient supply and decreases waste product accumulation. Massage improves blood flow to joints and encourages succussive action in joint cartilage (lubrication for joints).

Any improvement in circulatory efficiency aids bone healing. Stretching soft tissue structures transversely and longitudinally during the massage promotes proper fibre alignment in healing soft tissues (especially tendons and ligaments).

It can reduce adhesions (knots) in the muscles, tendons, and ligaments with a massage. Massage helps to maintain and improve joint range of motion (passive rom techniques in massage). It can help with injury-related compensatory changes. This aids in the re-balancing of the body's muscle groups.

This aids in the improvement of posture. Exercise, stretching, and self-care are all encouraged to promote positive body awareness. Massage therapists recommend stretching and strengthening exercises to help patients improve their condition.

Trigger points (also known as trigger sites or muscle knots) can be relieved by massage. Hyperirritable spots in skeletal muscle associated with palpable nodules in taut bands of muscle fibres are described.

Circulatory System

Blood is circulated throughout the body by the circulatory system, including the heart, arteries, and veins. This physiological system transports waste products away from organs and cells while delivering oxygen and nutrients to them.

Massage affects venous, arterial, and lymphatic circulation, which are all influenced in some way by the pumping action of skeletal muscles as they contract and relax. The following are some of the advantages and positive effects of massage on the circulatory system of the body:

Massage helps clear metabolic wastes and by-products from tissue damage and inflammation by increasing venous and lymphatic flow mechanically. During a massage, lymph node activity is stimulated, and muscle tension is released.

Muscle tension reduces lymphatic efficiency, and a reduction in muscle tension allows our bodies to work more effectively and efficiently.

Massage promotes the recruitment of capillary beds in the treated tissue. As a result, tissue perfusion and drainage improved. (Perfusion refers to the delivery of blood to a capillary bed in tissue and refers to the passage of fluid through the circulatory or lymphatic systems to an organ or tissue.)

Blood pressure is reduced by general relaxation and increased blood flow to peripheral tissues. Reduces congestion and aids in the restoration of normal circulation in a variety of injury and disease states.

Conclusion

Massage therapy is the best option after you face exercise-induced muscle damage. You can take Tantric massage for better results. But before this, be careful while exercising. Good luck!