Benefits and effects of Massage

Expectations of intervention outcomes

Expectations may serve as a significant prognostic indicator for patients with musculoskeletal pain conditions. Consequently through ongoing dialogue with patients physical therapists may wish to distinguish ideal expectations from predicted expectations. This can be differentiated quickly by means of a measurement scale with request based on what the patient thought would occur (predicted expectations) and what the individual wanted to occur (ideal expectation). Differentiating between predicted and ideal expectations helps promote the value for directing education rehabilitation interventions and most likely outcome of intervention preventing injury reoccurrence (2,3,4).         

 

Invigorating

A massage that is performed with light brisk movements produces an invigorating feeling particularly before an event (1).

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Immunity

 It has been shown that massage can have a positive effect on the immune system.  

When the skin is massaged, nerves send signals to particular glands where T cells are stored. This stimulation makes the glands produce more lymphocytes (types of white blood cells in the immune system) in the blood – the nett result is a larger number of healthy immune helping cells circulate around your body looking for invaders.

In one experiment performed for the BBC (Trust me I’m a Doctor) in 2020, they found a 70% increase in white blood cells after a one hour massage.

A larger study on children in 2006 performed a three month experiment on massage. Its findings also support the role for massage therapy in immune preservation. (8)

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You can also read:

• Scientific Reports No 5, 10913 (2015) for a study on ‘Massage-like stroking boosts the immune system in mice’

• D'Acquisto F. (2017) Affective immunology: where emotions and the immune response converge.  Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017 Mar; 19(1): 9–19.

 

Your not being self-indulgent,
you’re simply trying to boost your immune system.

 

Tips

Should be painless

A massage should not be painful particularly when given to a patient with musculoskeletal pain (e.g. arthritis). If it is, tell the therapist to adjust the pressure or alter the technique being used.  If at any time your health or symptoms change between appointments, tell your massage therapist so they can modify the treatment. 

 

Choose the right Therapist

Always check that the therapist has a good understanding of your condition or autoimmune disease as a whole. Choose a massage therapist who is qualified, insured and regularly updates their knowledge and skills.  Ask if the therapist is on an approved register such as the FHT Complementary Healthcare Therapist Register as it has been approved by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care - a body that is accountable to parliament.

 

Homework

Aftercare is an integral part of the treatment, make sure you fully understand any exercises or movements that has been provided or suggested to you by the therapist to do at home.   Opening micro-circulation - Massage does increase blood flow to tissues, but so does exercise so don't be tempted to stop!

 

Conclusion

Although the biological mechanisms are not fully understood physical therapy interventions for musculoskeletal pain such as massage often address impairments with the implication that pain and function will improve in response to stretching excitable tissue (tight muscle) or by strengthening a weak muscle. However this is likely dependent on a variety of multifaceted factors related to the therapist, the patient and environment.

 

As always thanks for reading this article, enjoy your sport. If you enjoyed reading this article you may also enjoy my other articles on Foam Rolling and Massage Therapy May Help Buxton Winter Blues.

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You can read more on the Evidence of Massage here