Massage Does Not Flush Lactic Acid From Your Muscles

Picture from our Sports Massage course in July 2013

Finally, a published paper that suggests massage does help reduce inflammation in your fatigued muscles.

Hey, didn't the title say something else? Please read on to find out how massage reduces inflammation.

Many massage therapists, physiotherapists etc will say that massage can relieve your pain, DOMs (delayed onset of muscle soreness), promotes circulation, flushes your lactic acid/ toxins from your body, relieves your joint strain etc. However, published evidence does not totally support their claims fully.

Well, Sefton and colleagues (2012) can finally set the record straight. Massage cannot push toxins from muscles to your bloodstream. It also cannot flush lactic acid from your muscles. So do not believe anyone who tells you otherwise.

What massage can do is it can soften your fascia (which is found all over your body covering your muscles beneath your skin) and make your tight muscles relax. It can also remove adhesions between fascia and muscle (which can restrict your movement).

Crane's study also found 30 % more of a gene that helps muscle cells build mitochondria (mitochondria turns a cell's food into energy and facilitate its repair).

Well, great news for runners, athletes etc who rely on limber joints and muscles for pain free movement to ensure you perform optimally.

This also mean that regular massage can let runners, athletes etc tolerate more and harder training since it can hasten recovery and allow them to ability to train hard again two days later.

Other research suggests that besides reducing inflammation, massage also improves immune function. This suggests it may also help chronic diseases.

For more on Sports Massage please also see this and this.

Calling all runners, athletes, patients with chronic pain, call our clinics to book your Sports Massage appointment.

References

Crane JD et al (2012). Massage Therapy Attenuates Inflammatory Signaling After Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage. Sci Transl Med 4, 119ra13. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3002882.

Rapaport MH, Schettler P et al (2012). A Preliminary Study of the Effects of a Single Session of
Swedish Massage on Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal and Immune Function in Normal Individuals. J Altern Complement Med. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2012 March 01.

*Many thanks to Lim Ting Jun for the articles.

Bat Girl Wannabes

Bat girls wannabes

Here's another chop

Welcome back to the second weekend of our Sports Massage course.
Today we have a full day with Marlene to learn new techniques as well as practise the ones they learnt last week.

Marlene showed some more of her kung fu moves, well not quite.

Stick 'em up girls

xxxx says marlene

All together now

Stay tuned for their written and practical exams tomorrow. For more pictures have a look here..

Day 1 Sports Massage Course 130713

Today we welcome all our participants coming to Amoy Street for our Sports Massage course over this and next weekend. Some of our participants have some working knowledge while others don't.

Here are some pictures from Day 1 with human anatomy in the morning and the hands on session after breaking for lunch.

Now don't put your fingers in your mouth

Veronica not quite believing where Aized is pointing

Ok, don't peep while draping

Marlene showing how she gets the job done while Lily leans forward for a better view.

Check out my elbow

Please also have a look at this.

Now It'll be In July!

Our June Sports Massage Course has been postponed to July.

The reason is because one of our course organizers, Gino Ng, was involved in a cycling accident. He sustained skull and spinal fractures. He is on the mend and expected to be back at work in July.

Sports Solutions Sports Massage Course July 2013


July 13, 14, 20, 21 (2 weekends)
Saturdays (13, 20 July): 9am to 6pm
Sundays (14, 21 July): 10am to 5pm

It will be held at Sports Solutions, 108 Amoy Street

Early Bird (till 31 May 2013): $1200
After 31 May 2013: $1500

Register now by calling 62236078 or emailing admin@sportssolutions.com.sg

Lecturers:
Ms Aized Noor (Master Sports and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy (Uni South Australia), Senior Physiotherapist, Physio Solutions)
Ms Marlene Torrent Parker (National Cert in Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork NCTMB (US), Massage and Bodywork Therapist)

This course aims to equip you with the basics of human anatomy and practical tecniques of sports massage.

Save Me .....

That's Shawn yelling, no just kidding, he didn't yell at all. He took it all in his stride while being the model for Marlene during day 2 of Sports Massage course at our clinic today.

Save me please.....

Still able to smile.

No, its not that bad.

Read more about Darth Vader too in our other blog.

Yesterday's Straits Times (ST 051111) Article On Sports Massage

If you read yesterday's article in the Straits Times on page C22 under the Sports section (Rubbing The Right Way), you would have read the author's personal opinion on Sports Massage on various conditions like  DOMs (or delayed onset on muscle soreness).

We have written on DOMs before. There are actually mixed results on published evidence that sports massage helps with DOMs. For every paper you find that says it helps, there will be a few more that says that the results are not significant.

With regards to blood circulation, there is actually very poor evidence that sports massage increases blood circulation (Wiltshire et al, 2010). This has been confirmed in many other studies as well.

Most beneficial effects seemed to be increased perceptions of recovery and increase in psychological well being.

Reference

Hertbert RD and De Noronha M (2007). Stretching To Prevent Or Reduce Muscle Soreness After Exercise. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Issue 4. The Cochrane Collection.

Szymanski, D (2003). Recommendations For The Avoidance Of Delayed-onset Muscle Soreness. Strength and Conditioning Journal 23(4): 7-13.

Wiltshire EV, Poitras V et al (2010). Massage Impairs Postexercise Muscle Blood Flow And "Lactic Acid" Removal. Med Sci Sports Exer Jun 42(6): 1062-71.

Zainuddin Z et al (2005). Effects Of Massage On Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness, Swelling And Recovery Of Muscle Function. Journal of Athletic Training. Jul-Sep 40(3): 174-80.

*Picture from Flickr

Excessive Kneads

If the picture looks familiar, you are right, it has been taken from yesterday's Sunday Times (111009) Life section, page 9.

As the article pointed out, there are no published studies showing that too many massages are bad. However, let me share a true experience from the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Our Team Singapore medical team consists of only a doctor and 2 physiotherapists (only) for the whole Team Singapore contingent. Besides looking medical and sports injuries' needs of the athletes, all three of us had to double up and do sports massage for the athletes as well (since we don't have a sports massage therapist with us).

One of our swimmers (who shall remain anonymous) insisted of receiving 3 sports massages a day (even after the competition). If it was before the competition and if time permits, I'll say no problemo. And if the swimmer came back with a medal, I'd say alright I'll do it (after the competition as well). But the swimmer was really quite far away from even making the finals so I said to the swimmer "if you get 3 sports massage sessions a day, does that mean you will swim 3 seconds faster?"

The swimmer stormed off and didn't speak to me for a few days. What I am trying to say is that yes, sports massage does have some benefits (if done properly and at the right time), but 3x a day? Through my experience of working with athletes, I know that some prefer (and can handle) a sports massage close to their really important events (1 or 2 days before). Others prefer 4-5 days before their big event. Now, every athlete is different and have different preferences. You all know that you shouldn't wear new shoes, running shorts, vests, etc before your race, well same for sports massage, nothing new or nothing you aren't familiar with.

One other comment though, caught my attention. The comment was made by a principal physiotherapist at a local hospital --"a massage using non-professional and forceful techniques can lead to problems such as nerve damage and cerebrovascular accidents such as stroke and bruising".

Personally, I feel that there is no justification at all for that comment made by the principal physiotherapist. Especially if you come to our clinic, our staff all all extremely well trained and experienced. If you search the current scientific databases, there is currently no documented or published evidence (in Pubmed, PEDRO etc) of such claims. A cerebrovascular accident or stroke involves arteries inside the cranium (or skull),so unless the massage therapist performing the massage fractures the cranium and so disrupts the blood supply, there is virtually no chance of a stroke happening.

As for nerve damage, it would really take quite a fair bit of force to inflict any "damage" to our nerves as nerves are actually quite hardy.

*Picture ST Photo: Terence Tan