Deep Tissue Massage Benefits From the Expert

Massage therapy has always been practiced to reduce musculoskeletal injuries and improve muscle relaxation. Recent advances in this field have made an impression however, especially in the clinical setting. A growing number of practitioners as a vote for confidence, it is evident that massage therapy is amongst the most effective alternative medicine methods and treatments.

What is Deep Tissue Massage?

It is essential to know what is a deep tissue massage, in order to distinguish it from the other types of massage therapies, and hence maximizing the benefit from it. Deep tissue massage (DTM) is a massage therapy that targets deeper layers of tissues or muscles with a certain amount of pressure, namely slow and deep strokes. By focusing on the peculiar targeted muscles, deep tissue massage will help lose the tension in the tissue or muscles, also known as knots, leading to beneficial outcomes such as lower blood pressure, reduced pain, minimized sciatica, and so on. 

Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage encompasses a number of benefits to provide better health to an individual. The benefits of deep tissue massage are as follows:

1. Blood pressure and heart rate

Heart problems are one of the prevalent groups of diseases in many countries. According to Medscape, around 972 million people or 26% of the total world population has this health condition in 2019, with the trend pointing towards further growth. 

Recent studies show that deep tissue massage has beneficial effects on the vascular system. Among these are lowering blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and also systolic blood pressure. On top of lowering blood pressure, deep tissue massage also shows promise in reducing the person’s heart rate. With all these benefits, we can confidently say that deep tissue massage can be effectively and safely used along with anti-hypertensive medications.

2. Chronic lower back pain:

Lower back pain (sciatica) is a common ailment among many youngsters and elders. It is reported that 75-85% of adults will be prone to chronic lower back pain (CLBP) at some stage in their lives. Studies have confirmed that deep tissue therapy is one of the most meaningful techniques to minimize or control chronic lower back pain in adults. 

Deep tissue massage also has neurological effects documented in research. Thus, it has the potential to prevent or reduce the sciatica pain which radiates from the sciatic nerve in the lumbar region of the lower back

3. Pregnancy and delivery:

Deep tissue massage is an excellent way to help alleviate the pain during pregnancy and labor. Prenatal deep massages relax the tight muscles in pregnancy which helps in relieving the pain. Further on, lower back pain which is faced during pregnancy can also be reduced by performing deep tissue massage. Researchers have reported that regular massage can result in reducing pain during delivery and shorten labor.

4. Arthritis:

Arthritis causes noticeable effects on the human body including, but not limited to, pain, stiffness, sleep disturbance and joint movement restriction. Deep tissue massages can help to lessen the symptoms of arthritis up to some extent i.e., ankylosing spondylitis. Its use with medication has been shown to decrease or even prevent arthritis pain in patients.

5. Sports injuries and injury rehabilitation:

People who are into sports are inherently prone to injuries. Hence, they need massage therapies to help address injuries such as ankle sprains. Such sprains are one of the most frequent injuries due to the tendency of ankles to be widely used by athletes involved in the many sports such as soccer, badminton, running or basketball. Deep tissue massage relaxes and eases the tight muscle and can be used for injury rehabilitation by eliminating the muscle tension that follows injuries.

6. Weight Loss

Among all, one of the most popular benefits of deep tissue massage is losing weight. A lot of research in the past shows that it helps to reduce excess body fat and boost the metabolism. It is also effective when it comes to addressing water retention especially in areas with excessive fat accumulation. 

Balance Health has experts in this field. It is one of the leading deep tissue massage facilities in Hong Kong with experienced therapists who can also help to improve the lymphatic flow and circulation. Through this technique, weight loss and detoxification can be achieved. We can also expect positive results if it is combined with a balanced and nutritious diet and a good exercise regimen.

About the Author:

Hafsa Khan is an expert in bodywork therapies. She also has an extensive background on holistic healing, Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine as well as alternative medicine. She also received several certifications in psychotherapy and counseling. She specializes in chronic pain, stress and helps her clients manage their stress, pain and wellbeing.