Side Effects of Massage Therapy

Side Effects of Massage Therapy

Massage is the practice of manipulating muscles and soft tissues to improve your well-being. Many hand manipulations are inherent in massage that, if performed improperly or on a damaged body part, could cause harm. Though massage has been around for centuries and fills an important role in complementary medicine, consult a doctor before getting a massage if you have a medical condition.

Changes

The manipulations can affect changes in your body that lead to serious medical complications. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, your blood sugar levels usually change after a massage. If you have diabetes, you should make a habit of checking your blood sugar after a session to ensure that you are within your limits. A blood clot can be loosened during a massage session so avoid massage if you have an existing blood clot, a bleeding disorder or an infection in your veins.

Damage

Your tissue is weakened while undergoing chemotherapy and a massage could damage the fragile tissues if you have cancer and are getting chemotherapy treatments or radiation. The rubbing involved in massage can damage any open sores or skin lesions further. If you have an enlarged thyroid, the organ can undergo damage from the pressure. Other conditions that could be exacerbated by massage include osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, high fever, kidney or heart failure or low white blood cell counts. You should wait until your surgeon releases you before having a massage after a surgical procedure.

Inexperience

An experienced massage therapist should know what conditions are not conducive to massage therapy. Many accidents and injuries occur from inexperience, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Specialists trained in treating specific populations take additional classes and receive advanced training to provide massages to people with special needs. For example, massage can be dangerous if you are pregnant unless you see a therapist trained in pregnancy massage. You could become injured after a grueling race if you see someone who isn't trained in sports massage. Cancer patients should seek massage therapy treatments from specialists trained in the modality.

Side Effects

A vigorous massage can leave your muscles sore for a day and not cause any permanent damage. If the therapist is pressing too hard, you should speak up and ask her to lighten her touch. Serious side effects can occur and should be considered before having a massage. You could develop permanent nerve damage or even temporary paralysis if pressure was incorrectly applied, according to MayoClinic.com. Also, most therapists use massage oils that you might have an allergic reaction to.

Good Back Massage therapy

Everyone likes a good back massage but not everyone can afford to go to the massage therapist when their back hurts. While a professional is your best bet for getting rid of any chronic pain, you or your spouse can learn to give a pretty decent massage for those times when you can't get to your therapist.

Here are some tips on how you can improve your massaging skills and give a great back massage:

One easy way to give the massage is to do what is called "raking". Here you use your fingertips with your fingers spread apart. Start at the shoulder area and move your hands down the back in a raking motion. Move your fingers alongside the spine but not on the spine. Alter the motion so that one hand is going down on one side while the other is going up on the other side.

The fan stroke is another popular massage stroke and uses oil to eliminate friction on the skin. To perform a massage in this fashion you want to have the person lie face down and then kneel with your knees on either side of them. Here you'll be putting pressure on the trapezius and latissiumus dorsi and in order to do that you want to have your fingers facing outward away from the spine with your palms in the middle of the back. Using a fan shaped stroke you want to move your hand up the back to the shoulder blades and then to the outer edge of the body away from the spine. Be sure that you don't put pressure on the spine itself, only alongside it.

The circling hands back massage is also very popular. This massage starts on the lower back and moves up the length of the back. Start with your hands flat and using a gentle counterclockwise motion circle your hand up the back keeping your fingers pointed outwards away from the spine. Use the right hand on the right side of the body and the left hand on the left side of the body. Move upwards with one hand, then the other then the first again, repeating as much as you want.

Petrissage is the kneeding of the flesh and muscle and will help to smooth out knots or kinks in your back. This type of massage works on a smaller area and uses fingertips or thumbs to work out the knots. Here you just want to grab the muscle and squeeze, then move to the next muscle working your way around the shoulder area and back. Using oil will decrease the tugging and pinching feeling on the skin.

A good back massage will leave the recipient feeling relaxed. The massaging motion works to improve circulation and blood flow to the muscles, bringing them nutrients and helping them to remove toxins. In this way, massage not only feels good but it's good for you too!