VIEWING DEEPER WITH DEEP TISSUE LOWER B Y: C ARYL J. S APEPE “The pain you feel today is the strength you will feel tomorrow.”
Have you ever had a painful headache, muscle dysfunction, or a tooth cavity that made you cry and seek for a specialist? Basically, all she/ he does is give pain relievers and muscle relaxants; remember that these stuffs won’t treat the root cause of the pain but the pain symptoms. Experiencing chronic muscle tension or injury means that there are bands of connective tissue. These tissues, also known as adhesions, block circulation processes in the body (like blood, oxygen and waste product circulation), causing discomfort and swelling, and controlling your range of movement. But worry no more. When talking about adhesions, “Deep tissue massage” would do the trick on relieving pain and restoring your normal range of movement. However, the massage can be quite intense and painful, just like what you have experienced at times of your stressful days. The said massage is usually helpful for athletes who got a sports injury or a reckless driver who is recovering from a car accident. And just to add more pressure on particular areas of your body, your therapist may use deep finger/thumb, elbows or knuckle. Want to know why? So, here’s the benefits:
1. To Dismiss Stress
Probably, if you cannot withstand the everyday stresses in life, you may feel depressed. And this includes lack of sleep that contributes to the damage of your mental and physical health. Remember that massage has the ability to help the mind and body relax.
2. To Offer Easier Movement
When you hear the word “scar,” you might be thinking of it as a result from a visible cut. But, it also occur deeper in the body when a particular area is injured and healed. With this massage, it can be resolved, promoting greater range of motion.
3. To Relieve Pain
Meanwhile, a research article published in an “April 2014 issue of Manual Therapy,” found that deep tissue massage along with self-stretching exercises, reduces pain.
4. To Lower Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
On the other hand, “2008 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine,” published a study that involved 263 participants who were experiencing muscle strain. After a 45 to 60-minute deep tissue massage, everyone’s heart rate and blood pressure were evaluated for further contrast and comparison with the previous results. The final result showed lower systolic and diastolic pressure, as well as heart rates around 10 beats less per minute.