The Ultimate Guide: How Massage Can Relieve Body Pain

Nowadays, body pain is one of the most common problems reported by many people across the globe. The cause may vary due to a lot of reasons like hectic work routines, bad postures or unhealthy activities.

According to a recent survey, around 90% of people suffer from chronic body pains which directly affect their personal and professional lives.

Unfortunately, most of the people resort to medication to quickly ease their pain. Such drugs, with side effects like constipation, nausea, flu, and drowsiness, take a profound toll on the body.

In contrast with this tendency, countering body pain with the help of massage is the best way to get rid of chronic body pains. Getting a massage not only helps you relieve body pain, but it also helps to maintain blood pressure and improve how your vital organs work.

In this article, we will elaborate on the importance of massage, and how it can help you relieve body pain. We will explain the main reasons why massage helps alleviate pain, and how the most common issues get resolved with the help of massage therapy.

[tweet_box design="box_3"]Getting a massage not only helps you relieve body pain, but it also helps to maintain blood pressure and improve how your vital organs work.[/tweet_box]

Reasons behind Pain Alleviation through Massage

It is a well proven scientific fact that massage helps in keeping chronic body pains in check. Following reasons illustrate this fact:

Production of Serotonin

Massage therapies facilitate the creation of serotonin in your body. Serotonin in return possesses the capacity to fight against body pains. Taking pills that induce serotonin production increases the chances of having side-effects later on whereas massages have none.

Blood Circulation

When your muscles don’t get enough energy through your blood, they stress out. Stressed muscles cause pain, and due to this, muscle spasms and stretches appear. Massaging such areas improves the blood circulation, and fresh supplies of energy enhance the functioning of your body. Getting a massage also ensure increased blood flow to stiff joints and alleviates the accumulated pain.

Sleeping Patterns

Lack of sleep is a major reason behind body pain, tiredness, and lethargy. Regular massage sessions stimulate the release of sleep-inducing chemicals in your body. Deep sleep that lasts at least 8 hours a day is necessary for your body to relax and heal the daily wear and tear. Research has shown that people who sleep well report fewer body pains.

Muscle and Organ Relaxation

Massage helps in tissue relaxation. When you are exhausted, your tissues and muscle compress, and this deprives your muscles of taking in all the essential nutrients.  After a good massage session, your muscles and the blood capillaries around them relax, enabling a proper supply of nutrients. Pressing or applying pressure on focal massage points also cause your nerves to loosen up.

Relaxed nerves cause proper transmission of messages to the brain which enhances the functioning of your muscles. Muscular pain is sometimes also transferred to organs as they share the neurological pathways with them. Proper massage therapy can also help reduce the pain in your b ody organs.

Dealing With the Most Common Body Pains

Following is a list of the most common body pains reported by the majority of the people. We will further explain how massage helps in reducing these pains, and tell you what you can also do on your own.



Headaches – You can treat your headache by massaging the area on the backside of your head where your neck meets your head. Rubbing these areas gently for 4-5 minutes can also reduce chronic headaches. These tricks are also helpful in dealing with migraines.

Shoulders – Shoulder pain is treatable by rubbing your shoulders with both hands. Massaging the pressure points on your shoulder reduces muscle tension, which makes your body produce more serotonin that helps in fighting body pains.

Backaches – Back pain is another most commonly reported problem. Physiotherapists are of the view that massage is the best way to deal with a constant backache. A good massage session aimed at reducing the back pain relaxes your neck, spinal cord, and kidneys.

Chest Pain – Stress usually gathers around your chest and then causes severe pain. Massaging the area on your chest 6-8 inches below your neck helps in reducing the chest pain, and can improve the working of heart and lungs.

Arms and Hands – Massaging the pressure points located on your arms and hands improve the blood circulation. Arms and hands are the most used body parts during any physical activity, and regular massage can keep them pain-free. Massage is also helpful in dealing with the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This medical condition appears due to the compression of the median nerve as it travels through the wrist at the carpal tunnel, and occurs due to repetitive motions from the wrist, like typing or painting.

Legs and Feet – Your feet have pressure points to deal with different parts of the body. By working on them, you can relieve yourself of unwanted pains. Similarly, our legs have a couple of massage points, and rubbing them relaxes your legs and thighs.

Post-Surgery Pains – Stiff muscles, broken tissue, and damaged ligaments characterize post-surgery pains. Most surgeons also recommend massage therapy to their patients, because it helps increase blood circulation, and it enhances flexibility and joint movement. Massage therapy also elevates tissue regeneration and reduces post-surgical swellings.

Labor Pains – Pregnancy takes a real physical toll on women. Massage therapy has been found to be very helpful in dealing with the pains and other health issues associated with pregnancy.

Post-workout Pains – When you undergo a workout session, your whole body is aching. Massaging after an exercise or a gym session relaxes the overworked and tense muscles. Bodybuilders and athletes are recommended to get massages on a regular basis.

Conclusion

Managing body pains through massage not only diminishes them, but it also increases the range of motion, lowers anxiety and depression, and promotes better stress-management.

Please keep in mind that depending upon the severity of your pain, it might take some time to reduce it through massages.

Generally, 2-3 weeks of continuous massage therapy is required to improve chronic body pains. Random body pains, however, can be dealt with by one or two massage therapies.