Sports Massage & Physiological Effects.
One of the first physiological responses to sports massage is that the localised blood circulation is known to be improved, depending upon the depth and pressure being used of course, as a result the deep blood vessels are compressed and released, stimulating circulation, often seen by the reddening of the skin during a treatment.
Extended periods of use of sports massage has also been demonstrated to increase lymph flow from the area being massaged through the lymph glands towards the heart.
Just as blood flow is increased as a result of appropriate forms of massage, scientific experiments into this physiological response show that the haemoglobin and red cell count may also increase.
Combined with an increase in blood and lymph flow, this leads to an improved supply of oxygen and nutrients to the soft tissue.
The removal of waste products is also aided as lymph flow increases, waste products from areas of soft tissue may be reabsorbed more quickly via the lymphatic system into the circulatory system.
One of these effects, which has a significant role to play in sports massage, is pain relief.
pain generated in an area is perceived by messages travelling to the brain via afferent nerves (sensory nerve endings situated in the skin), sports massage is thought to influence these afferent signals that block the transmission of the pain signals to the spinal cord.
Sports Massage It is also know to help stimulate the nervous system, helping to reduce anxiety and tension and in the hands of an experience sports massage practitioner,
sports performance and recovery is greatly enhanced, especially in the case of receiving
a post event sports massage treatment.
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