How Does Massage Therapy Ease Muscle Soreness?

Muscle soreness can have a number of different causes, from repetitive stress injuries to simply hitting the weights too hard. At Summit Medical Care Center in Broomfield, we take a holistic approach to easing discomfort and encouraging recovery. Massage therapy is one of the most powerful tools in our integrated medicine toolbox. What makes it so well suited to easing the pain of sore muscles?

What Does Massage Therapy Involve?

This therapy involves a trained practitioner manipulating your body with his hands, a specialized massaging tool, or both. The soft tissues are targeted with a variety of techniques. Gentle, Swedish-inspired moves may be used to ease surface level soreness, boost circulation, and encourage lymphatic drainage. More intense sports massages may be given to target joints and knotted muscles.

How Does Massage Therapy Reduce Pain?

It’s natural for your muscles to tighten up when you’re in pain. Unfortunately, these knotted muscle fibers can irritate your nerves. Massage loosens the muscles, giving your nerves a chance to recover.

Massage, especially with hands-on contact, releases endorphins. Endorphins are your body’s all-natural painkillers.

Massage also encourages circulation. Increased circulation helps you in the long term. Greater blood flow means that the muscle microtears causing you pain are getting plenty of nutritional building blocks for healing.

What Else Can Ease Muscle Soreness?

Massages are often most effective when paired with other treatments. Our chiropractor in Broomfield may recommend alternate hot and cold packs on the area to encourage blood circulation. Vitamin injections may be given to bring nutrients to the site of a healing injury. Sometimes e-stim is used, in which a mild electric current stimulates nerves and soothes irritation. Our chiropractic team will be able to tell you more about which options are right for your situation.

Summit Medical Care Center: Your Provider for Chiropractic and Massage Therapy

Popping a painkiller can only mask the symptoms of muscle soreness. Integrated medicine with a holistic approach can to tackle this problem at its cause. If you need the services of a chiropractor in Broomfield, CO, contact us today.