How Massage Therapy Can Ease Sore Muscle Pain

Massage Boosts Muscle Recovery with Anti-Inflammatory Signals

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A massage after vigorous exercise unquestionably feels good, and it seems to reduce pain and help muscles recover. Many people — both athletes and health professionals – have long contended it eases inflammation, improves blood flow and reduces muscle tightness.

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A report by the CBC states that scientists at McMaster University in Hamilton have found evidence at the cellular level that massage blunts muscle pain in a similar way to anti-inflammatory pills.

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How Athletes Use Massage To Heal Damaged Muscles  

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The sports massage is now recognized by many in the training industry as an accepted component to an overall regimen of training and competition.

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This means the athlete can enhance pre-competition and reduce the required recovery period, which means a better and more intensive training session after competition. Flexibility, a necessary component of any athletic completion, is also a part.

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Why Massage is a Better Choice Than Pain Pills

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Dr. Tarnopolsky, a professor of pediatrics and medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, said that massage works quite differently than taking pain killers like Aleve or Aspirin.

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“There’s some theoretical concern that there is a maladaptive response in the long run if you’re constantly suppressing inflammation with drugs,” he said. “With massage, you can have your cake and eat it too—massage can suppress inflammation and actually enhance cell recovery.”