When to Avoid Massage

As wonderful as a massage might sound when you aren’t feeling your best, there are times when you should avoid booking one because it may adversely affect not only your health but the health of your massage therapist.

You should avoid massage in the following circumstances;

Fever, infectious diseases and viruses:

When you are sick in any form, or have a fever, your body’s defense system is already busy trying to isolate and expel the invader. Because massage increases overall circulation, it may work against your body's natural defenses and make you feel worse.

Skin diseases, inflammation, infection, and contact dermatitis:

Massage can further irritate any areas of inflammation or infection, not only spreading it but slowing the healing process as well, for this reason you should avoid massage therapy until your contagion or condition heals.

Other conditions like Pregnancy, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Asthma, Cancer, HIV and others each have their own precautions, and you should seek a doctor's opinion before booking your massage.

Seven Reasons Massage Makes You Feel Good

Seven Reason Massage Makes You Feel Good

It Releases Endorphins

Therapeutic massage causes your brain to release endorphins (the “feel good” chemicals). Endorphins cause exhilaration and relaxation and their release can often ease pain, anxiety, and stress.

Removes  Body Toxins

Massage therapists use specialized techniques which stimulate blood and lymphatic fluid circulation. The increase in circulation not only brings blood with oxygen and vital nutrients that will help heal and restore sore muscles, it also helps remove the toxic wastes that have accumulated there.  

Improves Circulation

When your blood circulation is improved, disease fighting white blood cells and natural killer T cells are also improved.  

Relaxes Your Nervous System

Massage therapy stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system, slows your heart rate and your respiration and brings your body into a harmonious and natural rhythm.

Speeds Muscle Healing

We all experience micro-trauma’s to our muscles everyday whether it’s from sitting at the computer too long, sleeping in a “funny” position, or trying to open the door with an arm load of groceries. Our surrounding muscles act to protect these trauma’s by tensing up so that the injured part is “guarded”. This causes aches, pains, and “knots” to develop. Your massage therapist detects these problem areas and uses a variety of special techniques to help relax the muscles and allow proper circulation for healing.

Promotes Better Sleep

Massage therapy can increase the amount of serotonin in your body (the chemical which modulates sleep and mood). With the addition of an increase in endorphins putting you in a feel good/relaxed mood, many patients with insomnia report that they have restful nights of sleep after a massage.

Lowers Your Stress Level

Massage therapy can decrease the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and increase serotonin (sleep modulator) thus significantly counteracting the effects of stress.  Massage will also lower your heart rate and stimulate the systems that were shut down in order to conserve energy (such as your immune system, reproductive system and digestion). Your muscles will relax and your stress level will be significantly lowered

Dr Paul Donahue on Massage Therapy Benefits

Dr Paul Donahue, medical advice columnist, believes in massage;
“I believe in massage.  They've helped me to get over sore muscles many times.”





A recent reader posed this question after he began feeling too tired to continue playing sports at a competitive level:

“…Someone suggested massage to me.  I tried it.  It worked. I’m a new person since getting two massages a week.  When I tell this to people, many of them say it’s all in my head; it isn’t.  Do you believe massage could do this much for me?”

In response to the question, Dr. Donahue had this to say;

Massage is a scientific way to manipulate the body’s soft tissue, which include muscles and ligaments.
It increases circulation, which carries away pain promoting byproducts generated from work or exercise.
It relaxes muscles and ligaments. It increases joints' range of motion.

Massage has been demonstrated to relieve back pain that doesn't arise from any structural changes to the back.  Ten weeks of two massages a week have been shown to improve such back pain.

Dr. Donahue also added;

...[massage can help] those whose arm or leg is swollen after surgery in which lymph nodes had to be removed. Lymph fluid comes from the circulation and bathes all body tissues and organs. It returns via lymph vessels, which act like vacuum hoses. They suction up lymph fluid and return it to the circulation. When lymph nodes are removed and lymph vessels disrupted, an arm or leg swells. Massage therapists, trained in techniques to mobilize this fluid, are able to greatly reduce such swelling and allow the affected arm or leg to move with greater freedom.