Massage Therapy News and Research

Massage Can Help Reduce Muscle Soreness after Training

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a common medical condition that peaks 24 hours to a maximum of 72 hours after engaging in exercise or physical activity, according to “How to Reduce Muscle Soreness After Training,” an article that appears on News-Medical.net. Research indicates that various methods, including foam rolling, stretching, and even getting a massage, can help reduce or prevent this common muscle soreness phenomenon.

Relative to massage, the author Gaea Marelle Miranda, MSc, notes that “As a prominent therapeutic measure to prevent muscle damage, massaging is widely used as a model for treating DOM or any muscle damage brought about by strenuous exercise or physical activity.”  

Research studies concluded that a 30-minute therapeutic massage per leg after two hours of running downhill effectively limited DOMS.  Additional studies found that massage, coupled with stretching and warm-up activities, could help reduce muscle soreness.

However, the author cautions that “While massages are empirically proven to reduce DOMS, the method is still coupled with controversy due to the various exercise models that are available.” Read more.

Medical Massage Therapy is a Priority at New York Hospital

In Buffalo, New York, the Sisters of Charity Hospital is offering hospital-based medical massage therapy, writes Massage Magazine.  Roughly 80 percent of the hospital’s medical massage therapy clients are seen daily, mainly due to no-fault (auto accident injuries) or workers’ compensation claims. Hospital massage therapists also receive orders from doctors to see patients in the hospital. For example, on Wednesdays, the medical massage team can offer massage therapy services to cancer patients.

Massage Magazine says that The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) notes that this can be beneficial, as many reviews and studies have found that, “at least for the short term, massage therapy for cancer patients may reduce pain, promote relaxation, and boost mood.”  Read more.

Bodyfriend Introduces Brain Massage Technology

Bodyfriend, the Korean massage chair maker, has introduced brain massaging technology, writes the Korean Herald.  CEO of the company Park Sang-Hyun reports that his company is the first to introduce a patent for this new technology, which has already been applied to five of the Bodyfriend’s massage chair models.

The company said that it had conducted experiments with three user groups.  One group included users who had no experience using massage devices; participants in a second group had used massage chairs. The third group used the new Bodyfriend technology, and the company said it had significant effects on relaxing these participants.

The technology used a binaural beat, which helps relieve fatigue that is released through a type of meditation music from both sides of the chair. Read more.

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