Some people only get massages for fun. It’s a method to relax at the end of the day or to reward oneself after a challenging project.
However, massage was a helpful technique in medicine long before it became a fixture of spa resorts. Therefore, it should not be surprising that massage continues to be beneficial for health and wellness—even after effective medical procedures. And this is when and how massage might be helpful after surgery.
Table of Contents
1. Lowering Pain
Pain is one of the most challenging things for people to deal with after surgery. Massage can provide a different, all-natural method of pain management in addition to the strong drugs that hospitals typically offer.
Breaking up knots, reducing spasms, and relieving strain on the joints are all benefits of massage therapy. This is particularly helpful for persistent, ongoing muscle discomfort.
2. Reducing Swelling
Swelling is a typical side effect of the healing process following surgery. Usually, fluid buildup or inflammation is the culprit. Nevertheless, individuals may have pain and limited mobility due to edema.
Deep muscular massage relieves tension and improves circulation. As a result of the pressure being reduced, fluids can better exit the body, reducing swelling.
3. Scarring Reduction
While most of us have experienced scarring, not everyone knows how or why. The body tries to heal after a wound, such as sustained during surgery, by overproducing collagen fibers, which results in scar tissue.
This tissue fills in the gaps left by surgeries, but it might limit mobility because it is less elastic than normal human tissue.
After surgery, lymphatic drainage massage can help to increase the body’s mobility by loosening these rigid collagen strands. Additionally, massaging these tissues may lighten the scars’ dingy appearance.
4. Increasing Immunity
The body is more fragile after surgery, making it more prone to sickness. This could make healing more difficult. Fortunately, massage lowers cortisol levels, which inhibit immune system function and help the body produce more white blood cells.
Additionally, it aids in boosting circulation, which enables the movement of these white blood cells throughout the body.
5. Immune System Boosting
The body is more vulnerable following surgery, making it more prone to sickness. This may hamper one’s ability to recover.
Fortunately, massage lowers cortisol levels, which limit immune system activity and help the body produce more white blood cells. Additionally, it aids in boosting circulation, enabling the movement of these white blood cells throughout the body.
6. Supporting Emotional Health
Surgery and recovery can be physically demanding, affecting our mental health. Even when the procedure is successful, the circumstances surrounding it are frequently traumatic.
A lot of worry and anxiety can result from this alone. In addition, being confined to bed rest and experiencing continual discomfort can make a patient feel lonely and unhappy.
Luckily, receiving a massage can help you feel more relaxed overall. The brain produces stress hormones like cortisol less frequently during the massage and feel-good hormones like dopamine more regularly. It also aids in lowering the negative physiological impacts of stress, such as tight muscles and elevated heart rate.
