Muscle Relaxation through Massage Therapy

Everyone has experienced some form of muscle tightness or stiffness at some point. Psychological and physical stress can cause muscles to tense causing an achy feeling because a tight muscle is just a contracted muscle that for many reasons fails to release and becomes a spasm or knot.

Emotional stress is usually the origin of this physical tension as unconscious nerve impulses maintain the muscles in a partially contracted state, so prolonged psychological pressure and accumulated stress and anxiety are related to physical tensions and pains. In fact, muscle pain and soreness are very common symptoms that can also result from illness or injury. Even exercise can lead to muscle tension or muscular pain. Often individuals with the above mentioned conditions feel sore muscles and even frequent acute muscle spasm, aches and tension. If you can relate to these symptoms, this post will provide you some guidance on how to relieve them.

Nowadays, many people prefer natural remedies abstaining from conventional medicines when alleviating muscle soreness. Massage has been used for centuries as an effective method for relieving muscle pain and promoting good health. Today, a professional therapist can employ different types of massage techniques to provide natural relief and comfort to specific body areas. Stiff necks, low back tightness, sore shoulders are some areas massage therapy can help with.

Massages focus on trigger points or sensitive areas of tight muscle fibers that can form in your muscles and tendons, relieving tensions and strains. As the pressure is applied by the massage, blood vessels are dilated to provide optimum circulation and restore oxygen to tight cramping and contracted muscles. Some massage therapies are mainly designed to soothe severe or chronic tightness and are focus on deeper layers of muscle tissue, fascia and other structures.

Massages are also recommended for people who are involved in heavy physical activity or have injuries and also help them to prevent further injuries in the future.

When muscles are stressed, there are normally adhesions (bands of painful, rigid tissue) in muscles, tendons and ligaments. Adhesions can block oxygen and nutrient absorption, leading to inflammation that builds up toxins in the muscle tissue, thereby limiting movement.  Massages on a regular basis help loosen muscle tissues, release toxins from muscles and get blood and oxygen circulating properly. With pressure or friction, massage works by physically breaking down these adhesions to relive pain and stiffness while relaxing the entire body, and restore normal movement. They are very effective in easing osteoarthritis pain, fibromyalgia, even when we reduce the stress on muscles we will be helping to maintain a proper and correct posture.

All these benefits help you to improve flexibility and blood circulation, training the body to relax by restoring balance in the muscular-skeletal system, rejuvenating and improving performance, easing aches and pains and providing a general sense of well being.