benefits of massage

7 Ways Massage Helps Speed Up Recovery for Injured Muscles

Massaging is a popular method for muscle therapy because you can do it yourself without professional assistance. There are many ways a massage helps sore muscles recover and regain their full strength. The benefits of massage are even more remarkable when you use a handheld massaging device.

Whether you’re struggling with a nagging injury, suffer from chronic pain or just want to relieve muscle soreness after a rough workout, a massage is the therapy you need. Here are seven ways massaging helps to speed up recovery for injured muscles.

1. Relieves Pain and Swelling

Pain and swelling relief are the primary benefits of massage therapy for injured muscles. When you give your muscle fibers a deep massage, the targeted cells produce mitochondria at higher rates as a reaction to the stimulation. Mitochondria helps the cells in your skeletal tissue repair damaged muscle fibers and suppress pain.

You could let the muscle fibers repair independently, but using a massage tool speeds things up by forcing the cells to start the recovery process more quickly. That’s why athletes often use massage tools immediately after practices and games. Massaging, static stretching and other forms of muscle therapy are most effective at higher body temperatures when the muscle tissue is warmed and loosened up.

2. Reduces the Risk of Reinjury

Reducing the risk of reinjury is another way massage helps sore muscles. Clinical studies of massage therapy have shown it decreases delayed onset muscle soreness when combined with ice or cold water therapy. Together, these therapeutic methods reduce the rate of injury reaggravation and help injured muscles fully recover.

However, it’s essential to clarify massaging only helps injured muscles if you apply the right amount of pressure. Too much can backfire and lead to reinjury and not enough makes the massage ineffective. If you feel any sharp or lingering pain during and after the massage, you are likely applying too much pressure.

3. Increases Blood Flow to Muscles

Blood flow is crucial to muscle recovery, regardless of the injury. Massaging a sore or injured muscle immediately increases blood flow to the targeted area, which allows the muscle fascia to relax and enter full recovery mode. The fascia is the thin casing of connective tissue around the muscle that tends to tighten with stress.

Increasing blood flow is especially useful for people trying to build muscle. Massaging your sore muscles and sending more blood to those areas also increases protein synthesis and promotes muscle growth.

4. Flushes Out Neutrophils

Massages flush out toxins from sore and injured muscles — namely, a type of white blood cell called “neutrophils”. Neutrophils help with injury recovery and immune response, but they can sometimes overstay their welcome and accidentally start attacking healthy muscle tissue. They can even inhibit the development of new muscle fibers.

Massage therapy squeezes neutrophils out of the tissue and allows the muscle to grow new stem cells, which leads to a new layer of strong and healthy tissue. If you’re dealing with nagging muscle soreness in a specific area, the presence of neutrophils might be to blame. Use a massage device to flush them out and enable a full recovery.

5. Faster Than Medications and Surgeries

Medications and surgeries are viable treatment options for muscle injuries, but massage therapy is a faster and more affordable method. Prescription drugs are in low supply and high demand, which has caused their prices to skyrocket. Surgeries have a long healing process and can cost tens of thousands of dollars in hospital fees.

On the other hand, a professional massage device costs just a few hundred dollars. You can take advantage of the financial benefits of massage as well as the therapeutic benefits.

6. Can Target Specific Muscles

Massage tools are also advantageous over pharmaceutical treatment because they can target particular body parts. For example, the Myobuddy Pro 2 has specific applications for each muscle and provides multiple strength levels. You can adjust the device to fit your unique specifications and target the injured area with maximum effectiveness.

7. Allows You to Multitask

The best massage devices can utilize multiple forms of therapy to speed up muscle recovery. They combine direct pressure, vibration, percussion and heat to give you the best possible therapeutic experience. Instead of trying different forms of therapy one at a time, you can multitask and do them all at once. A multifaceted approach is beneficial for busy individuals who don’t have time to try different treatment methods.

Utilize the Many Ways Massage Helps Sore Muscles

Myobuddy’s ultimate mission is to help clients get a pleasant experience from our massage devices and set them on the road to full recovery. Massaging tools are changing the landscape of muscle therapy and allowing people to take healing into their own hands. If you’re ready to give your muscles the relief they deserve, check out our website and find your perfect massager from our extensive list of options.

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