When your doctor mentions that you need to start preparing for surgery, I will venture a guess that you will not think of massage as one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself. Well... you are not alone in this thinking and that is unfortunate because the healing benefits of massage are vast.
Massage therapy is useful for endless conditions including insomnia, muscle pain, anxiety, circulatory problems, and recovery from injury or before and after having surgery.
Even self-massage techniques that target reflexology points in the hands and feet, affect the head, neck, sinuses, in addition to many other parts of the body and organs that are beneficially affected. Massage is particularly effective when used as part of preparing for surgery and the recovery from surgery, particularly bone or muscle reconstructive surgery.
Before surgery, massage can relieve much of the anxiety and tension associated with the anticipation of having surgery. Massage helps the patient feel less stressed and lowers the patient's expectations for pain. This lowering of stress promotes a general sense of well-being that enhances the patient's ability to heal quicker and with fewer complications.
After surgery, massage therapy is a great addition to or even a substitute for other pain and recovery treatments, such as pain medication, which can sometimes cause unpleasant side effects. There are several reasons why massage is beneficial after surgery. For one, massage improves the circulation of blood and lymphatic fluid throughout the body, allowing for increased oxygenation of the body's tissues and organs and reduction of swelling and stiffness. Additionally, the simple fact that human touch, something we all need and benefit from, is involved in massage therapy and accounts for much of its physical and mental healing qualities.
Listed below are some of the most valuable health benefits and effects of massage as it applies to surgery.
- Helps to reduce edema or fluid accumulation
- Reduces swelling
- Reduces or relieves pain
- Increases flexibility of tissues
- Increases mobility
- Reduces stress and tension
- Increases body awareness
- Promotes relaxation
- Enhances immune functions and improved cell functions
- Lowers the production of the hormone Cortisol (also known as the stress-hormone)
Even though the benefits of massage are immense, there are a couple of main reasons why massage therapy is not widely used or recommended by doctors. One reason is many insurance plans do not cover the cost of massage therapy. Another is because massage is often regarded as an unsophisticated, insufficiently researched treatment.
However, people have benefited greatly from massage before and after having surgery and practitioners of massage therapy endorse it as one of the most effective and pleasant healing modalities available to modern medicine.
With benefits like the ones listed above, you may want to consider incorporating therapeutic massage into your preparing for surgery plans.
I agree with Mary that Massage Therapy is very beneficial prior to surgery. I have been providing massage to people prior to all types of surgeries for many years. To schedule your massage therapy session whether pre-surgical or just to relieve stress and pain please call my Massage practice, Massage By Ben at 210-269-3314
12 comments:
Of course massage has multiple utilities.There are times when the muscle is sprained and a message cures it.There is also release of stress from the stress points which helps you relax and also blood circulation becomes better.
Thanks for the post. While I often think of massage as beneficial to speed healing times after surgery, I've never considered the benefits it would have before surgery.
Good post about the potential benefits of massage before and after surgery. I think you are correct in assuming many people wouldn't naturally consider massage therapy as a way to prepare for surgery.
This is an excellent point. I've heard that orthopedists often cite the range of motion and strength of a joint as a good indicator to a successful outcome of scoping or replacing a joint. In that regard, massage is an excellent tool to get the body prepared for surgery.
Given that the usual pain response is to hold a joint immobilized or armored in a protected position, range of motion becomes extremely important before a surgical procedure. heatherw at http://blog.massagebyheather.com
This is great information! I will be sure to share this article with all of my fellow Massage Therapists in New Orleans. I wish more people would consider massage as a compliment to their healing, and as an alternative to invasive procedures.
I did not know that massage had so many benifits before healing. Not just me but there are many people who dont know about this. Thanks for this informative post. i will kepp in mind.
Cool! i don't know that its okay to have "Massage for Healing Before and After Having Surgery". Great information. Thanks for sharing.
-pia-
i have had quite a few breakthroughs with clients by focussing on the surgical scar. especially if the scar did not heal well and is tough and darker coloured, i find that fascial work and acupuncture to relieve the tension in the scar can have amazing effects on the client
A massage helped my me before my shoulder surgery. But the pain was too excruiciating for a massage after surgery
There are great benefits and what we should do is to find that competitive massage therapist to revitalize our stressed body and not to add further damage.
massage therapist certification
This is the best about massage aside from relaxing there are so many benefits that you can get.
I had ever had surgery and I chose massage as my solution to relieve it. Thankfully, it helps me relieve my surgery. Now, it has been cured well.
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