Massage Therapy Helps Improve Flexibility
Photo by Bas Peperzak on Unsplash
The BMJ Open Sports & Exercise Medicine , an open access companion journal to British Journal of Sports Medicine, published an analysis of several studies which underlined the significant improvements massage therapy can have on flexibility and delayed onset muscle soreness (often referred to as DOMS). The analysis looked at results from 29 studies involving 1,012 participants.
"Massage does appear to positively influence perceptions of [muscle] recovery."
A research article in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine focused on 12 participants who had run a half marathon and received a series of massages within two weeks of the race.
On four different days within two weeks of completing the road race, the participants received a 30 minute massage on their legs . The massage therapy sessions were to address possible soreness in thigh muscles (i.e., quadriceps and hamstring).
The study included a control group which did not receive any massage treatments.
Both sets of participants were tested for leg muscle strength, leg swelling, and soreness perception before and after the race.
Although the study did not indicate a measurable difference between the control group and the massage participants, 58% of the massage participants "perceived that the massaged leg felt better upon recovery."
The study used only 12 participants. I wonder if the study would have reported a noticeable difference in physiological data (massage participants versus the control group) and a greater percentage of participants perceiving a better recovery if more people had participated in the study.
Once, I ran a half marathon with friends from work.
Took me three, very long hours to finish the Prince William Half Marathon.
After crossing the finish line, stumbling past the water stations, the food stands, and the vendors’ booths, I saw an oasis.
A large, tented area full of massage tables and therapists who were working on runners who had finished the race. According to the two studies, those lucky enough to get on the massage tables after the race had a greater likelihood of increased flexibility and enhanced ability to deal with DOMS.