The benefits and harms of massage

Without exaggeration, massage can be called the most ancient and effective way to promote health and prevent many diseases. It is used at all stages of medical rehabilitation, leading to muscle tone with it, restoring the body's performance after injuries, reducing body fat and relieving stress.

Massage is a dosed mechanical effect on the surface of the body. It is carried out by hand or using special devices. With a general massage, the whole body is massaged; local - affects the back, collar zone, arms. Also, massage is hygienic, therapeutic, sports, cosmetic. The positive effect of any massage appears only after passing the full course of procedures. Usually their number varies between 7-10, less often 15 sessions. Depending on the testimony, the duration of one session is 20-60 minutes, a more accurate time is determined individually.

The benefits of massage are manifested in: strengthening the body's immune system; increase skin firmness and elasticity; improving blood circulation and lymph circulation; activation of sweat and sebaceous glands; normalization of the psychoemotional state; stimulation of the central nervous system or its calming; reduction of pain; increased skin sensitivity; acceleration of metabolic processes; getting rid of puffiness; strengthening / relaxing muscles.

Massage has the maximum effect on muscle tissue. Depending on the type of movement, it allows you to stretch and relax muscles that are compressed from tension, restore their flexibility and elasticity, relieve fatigue and get rid of pain.

Benefits exist for the circulatory system. By making breathing deeper, massage expands blood vessels and capillaries, improves blood circulation, saturates the brain with oxygen, and lymph flow, strengthens the human immune system. After a massage session, the sebaceous and sweat glands begin to work more actively. The natural hydration of the skin improves, the processes of its cleansing and moisturizing are accelerated.

Thanks to massage, mineral salts, toxins and toxins are well removed from the body. The excretory function of the kidneys and skin is activated, the level of subcutaneous fat is normalized and the recovery processes in the tissues are accelerated.

Among the fair sex, facial massage is popular, the benefits of which are simply huge. At the same time, it is possible to carry out procedures that improve the condition and appearance of the skin, both by contacting a beauty salon and at home.

There are a lot of positive aspects of massage, but, unfortunately, procedures that are pleasant in all respects in some cases can provoke negative reactions of the body, and the harm of massage will significantly exceed its possible benefits.

Contraindications for therapeutic massage (general massage):

• acute febrile conditions, inflammatory and purulent process of any localization, high temperature;

• bleeding and tendency to them;

• pathology of the skin, nails, scalp, as well as damage, irritation, abrasion and crack;

• varicose veins with trophic disorders, thrombosis;

• acute pains and causalgia (pain syndromes caused by damage to the peripheral nerve);

• respiratory diseases (after them another five days can not be massage);

• inflammation of the lymphatic vessels;

• angiitis, angioneurosis, atherosclerosis of the leg arteries with trophic disorders;

• mental illness;

• systemic blood diseases, hemophilia, benign and malignant tumors of various localization;

• aneurysms of the vessels of the brain, heart, aorta, peripheral vessels, cerebrovascular insufficiency of the third stage, severe sclerosis of cerebral vessels with a tendency to thrombosis and hemorrhage;

• acute periods of hypertensive or hypotonic crisis, myocardial ischemia, bronchiectasis, pulmonary heart disease of the third degree, pulmonary edema, pulmonary embolism;

• exacerbation of diseases of the autonomic nervous system (gangliolitis, diencephalic crisis);

• allergy with rashes, hemorrhages in the skin, Quincke's edema;

• general serious conditions in various diseases and injuries, osteomyelitis;

• diseases of the female genital area, abdominal organs (ulcer);

• injuries;

• alcohol intoxication.

In addition, there are a number of contraindications for massage of certain parts of the body. So if you have any doubts whether to massage or not, it is better to consult with your doctor or directly with a massage therapist. A qualified specialist will always give an exhaustive answer and determine the degree of possible risk.