Evidence of massage therapy dates back to ancient China, 2700 BC.  The numerous health benefits of massage makes it one of the most popular luxuries and is enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. Here, Mario Moreno, our highly experienced massage therapist explains how a massage can help you not only to recover from all of your various aches and pains and maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle, but also how a massage can benefit you following surgery.

The physical and emotional benefits of a massage for post-operative recovery

Over time massage techniques have evolved and diversified significantly.  To reflect this evolution we have a comprehensive range of massage services available at New Victoria Physiotherapy including soft tissue, pregnancy, diabetic, foot and intense back massages to name but a few.

The vast array of benefits from massage are well documented and fall under the main categories of relaxation and stress relief to maximise ones feeling of wellbeing, promoting improved sleep, soft tissue repair, muscle and tissue flexibility and swelling reduction. There are many physical health benefits of a massage including:

• Increased flow in circulation
• Increased mobility
• Pain relief
• Strengthening of muscles
• Improved function of the heart and the lungs

Healing swelling and bruising

Following surgery and injury, the body naturally bruises and swells which can lead to joint stiffness, generalised pain, muscle and soft tissue thickening, spasms and so on. Massage can be of great help in addressing these symptoms by restoring the soft flexibility, helping to disperse inflammation from the area and reducing unwanted spasms. Massage can be a really useful part of your recovery process when used in conjunction with physiotherapy and the exercises necessary to recover the strength to restore normal function.

The Intense Muscle Relief massage

‘Intense Muscle Relief’ is one of the most popular types of massage amongst clients. It is a form of deep tissue massage that lends itself very well to different types of conditions and injuries. This type of massage is good for surgical recovery following orthopaedic procedures but is also a great way to help reduce your recovery time from strenuous exercise and sports by releasing any tension and helping to restore your normal chemical balance of your tissues.

Stress Alleviation

Massage is a great way to help alleviate stress whether it be from the frantic nature of our busy lives to helping remove the stress from our body following surgery.  When the body feels overwhelmed from the chaos of our stressful lives or even from the trauma of surgery, the body produces increased concentrations of cortisol, the body’s ‘stress’ hormone.

If this remains elevated in our system for prolonged periods of time due to prolonged levels of stress in can have a negative effect on our mood and can cause longer term health problems.

Similarly, your cortisol level can remain elevatedin your body after surgery due to a change in the body’s biochemistry leading to prolonged vasoconstriction of the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the muscles and other tissues of the body. This can have a negative impact on your body’s ability to heal and recover.

Whether it be due to stress, surgery or some other stimulus, a massage can help restore the natural chemical composition of your body by facilitating fluid movement around the body and in particular near the surgical site by flushing away the cortisol from the system and replenishing the oxygen and nutrient supply to your tissues once more!

 Improved mood and sleep

The modern world we live in can be a frantic place. Pressures of work, social media and family life can lead to poor sleep quality and some even experience low mood. A soothing soft tissue massage can significantly enhance your sleep by activating a part of your bodies nervous system that is responsible for calming the body and allowing it to rest. 

When you activate the parasympathetic nervous system, it lowers your heart rate and blood pressure which can help induce sleep for people of all ages from babies and upwards.

Whether you choose massage therapy to relax or want to continue your rehabilitation after surgery, a massage can help you with your physical and mental wellbeing goals.

To find out more about our treatments and physiotherapy services, visit our dedicated page call us on 020 8949 9040 or fill in our online form.