Most of the time you do this quite automatically. You gently rub your body to relieve the discomfort if a part of it hurts. Therefore, therapeutic or home care (νμΌμ΄) massage has been used as a healing method for thousands of years. Even Julius Caesar regularly had a massage because of his headaches.
Why do you get a home care massage?
Over many years, very different massage techniques have developed in the world. Although classic wellness massages are primarily intended for relaxation, they should be carried out by trained people to avoid injuries and to unfold their full effects. Medical massages are prescribed by a doctor and may only be performed by professionally trained masseurs and physiotherapists.
When should you get a massage?
A massage is prescribed by the doctor when it is necessary due to certain medical conditions, such as blockages in the spine.
A proper massage is more intense
Trained physiotherapists and masseurs usually start with stroking movements to get an overview of the muscles and possible complaints and then to be able to react more gently or more strongly. By rubbing and kneading as well as tapping, you can then penetrate deeper layers of tissue. You should refrain from a massage if you have a fever or a thrombosis.
How the body reacts to a massage
The warmth of the hands, the various stimuli, and stretching massage strokes stimulate receptors in the muscles and pull the muscle spindles apart. This stimulates blood circulation, the tension in the muscles decreases and they relax. Metabolic processes in the muscles can now take place normally again and possible hyperacidity can be balanced out.
Relaxing the muscles also has an effect on mental health. When people are not in a good mental mood, their bodies are usually tense too. Conversely, if the muscle tension disappears with a massage, you automatically feel more relaxed and your mood brightens.
However, a better mood after a massage also has a hormonal origin, as several studies have confirmed that less stress hormones are released through massage. Instead, happiness hormones are increasingly produced. So massages can be a real mood booster.