Massage is one of the most soothing ways to treat stress. More than that, it can be a very effective way to treat painful conditions and bring your body back into balance. Deep tissue massage is a common way to ease long-term pain and help injuries heal. This Deep Tissue Massage Alexandria VA can also be used in many useful ways that can make life easier. Read on to find out eight good things about a deep tissue massage.

What is a deep tissue massage?

Deep tissue massage is a therapeutic method that works on the deeper layers of muscle and the connective tissue called fascia that surrounds them. Your massage therapist will use firm pressure and slow, deep strokes to break up scar tissue and get rid of muscle knots. These knots are bands of tight muscles that make your blood flow worse, hurt, and cause inflammation.

Relieves lower back pain

Lower back pain can be caused by many things, like getting older and sitting for long periods of time, not getting enough exercise, or lifting heavy things. This condition can also be caused by nerves, like the sciatic nerve, or large muscle groups that support this area, like the quadratus lumborum and gluteus medius. Problems in these places can make it hard to do simple things like bend over or get out of your car.

Deep tissue massage can help sciatica by releasing tissues that may be putting pressure on nerves. These techniques also get the parts of your body that support your lower back to work right again.

A study from 2014 found that deep tissue massage might help as much as common NSAIDs like ibuprofen. Even though massage can be better for your body and cheaper in the long run.

Lowers blood pressure

Stress and tension are known to raise your blood pressure, and deep tissue massage helps with both. Deep tissue massage makes your body release endorphins, which relax your blood vessels and make it easier for your heart to pump blood. All of these benefits, plus the fact that your blood flow will be better after your session, can help your readings.

A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2008 found that massage can lower all three types of arterial readings. Even more, it can slow your heart rate by about 10 beats per minute on average.

Reduces muscle tension and pain

When your muscles stay tight and can't loosen up, this is called tension. Over time, this tension can make you hurt and limit how much you can move. During a deep tissue massage, your massage therapist in Bend will put firm pressure on these trigger points, which will relax them by hand. This method can help reduce pain and get you moving again.

If your pain is caused by adhesions, which are groups of fibers that have stuck together because of stress, your therapist will break them up to make you more flexible and relieve your pain.

Lowers stress and anxiety

Stress is an everyday thing. When your body senses danger, it starts to make more cortisol, which is a stress hormone that makes you want to fight or run away. These levels should go up a little bit during the day and stay about the same at night. Cortisol levels stay high in people who are always stressed, which can lead to weight gain, trouble sleeping, and other problems.