Does Massage Help Muscle Atrophy?

You are diagnosed with muscle atrophy, and your doctor has made some recommendations to help you manage the condition more effectively. There is a high possibility that you are advised to undergo massage therapy at a trusted massage centre. This write-up will help you understand how individuals with muscle atrophy benefit from men massage in Abu Dhabi.

Effects of Massage on Muscle Atrophy Symptoms

An individual suffering from muscle atrophy experiences loss or wasting of muscle tissue. If not managed well, the condition can result in a visible reduction in muscle mass, and the affected body parts of the patient may become significantly smaller than their original size. Besides decreasing muscle mass, muscle atrophy also results in severe muscle weakness, making basic movement difficult.

Massage therapy is often an adjuvant treatment for muscle atrophy. It should be undergone alongside medications (prescribed for the underlying health issue responsible for causing the condition), exercises, and dietary modifications.

Massage therapy provides significant symptomatic relief. Examples of symptoms you may experience relief from include:

Soreness and Pain: There will be a notable reduction in pain and discomfort in your joints and affected muscles after undergoing just a single session of hot oil massage. It happens as the therapy successfully removes inflammatory markers from the ailing tissue.

Congestion and Swelling: Massage works by stimulating the patient’s lymphatic system and removing toxins stored in the body. This reverses fluid buildup resulting from muscle atrophy-induced inactivity.

Muscle Stiffness: There are massage techniques capable of minimising fibrosis. They help maintain the pliability of adjacent connective tissues and thereby ensure that the patient’s movement is not restricted due to muscle stiffness.

Muscle Fatigue: There are massage techniques that boost muscle metabolism and reoxygenate tissues. Performing a massage using these techniques can prevent muscle fatigue by increasing endurance.

How Does Massage Therapy Help Individuals Fighting Muscle Atrophy?

Here are the various mechanisms massage therapies use to fight muscle atrophy:

Better Nutrient Delivery: Massage therapy improves blood circulation. This, in turn, ensures that the ailing muscles keep receiving oxygen and essential nutrients. Adequate nutrient supply enables muscle maintenance and thereby slows down the progression of muscle atrophy. In other words, proper circulation of nutrients ensures that the patient’s muscle cells have the resources required for repair and energy production.

Superior Mitochondrial Activity: Mitochondria are membrane-bound structures that every muscle cell (or any other cell) has. Experts describe them as the powerhouse of cells due to their ability to produce energy. When an individual with muscle atrophy undergoes massage therapy, the mitochondrial activity in the muscle cells increases. This helps in keeping muscle functions and vitality normal and thereby prevents muscle loss.

Reduced Levels of Inflammatory Markers: Muscle loss is the most common byproduct of chronic inflammation. It happens because chronic inflammation not only damages muscle tissues but also prevents or slows down the repair process. Massage therapy reduces inflammatory markers and prevents inflammation-induced muscle tissue damage. Over time, i.e., after undergoing multiple sessions of the therapy, the patient experiences a significant increase in muscle mass and strength.

Protection Against Fibrosis: Muscle injury often leads to fibrosis, a condition marked by scarring, hardening, and thickening of tissues. Fibrosis triggers severe muscle deterioration and restricts the patient’s movement significantly. It can, however, be prevented successfully with massage therapy. The therapist uses strokes to promote proper alignment of newly formed tissue fibres and thus helps maintain muscle elasticity and functionality.

Types of Massage Beneficial for Muscle Atrophy

Here are a few massage therapies that offer maximum benefits to patients with muscle atrophy.

Hot Oil Massage: The factors that make hot oil massage highly beneficial for these patients are its ability to boost circulation, offer deep tissue nourishment, and accelerate recovery. Your therapist will be the one deciding which oil will be most effective for your condition. The oils that are used most frequently during hot oil massages for muscle atrophy are:

• Sweet Almond Oil: The human body absorbs this oil faster than most other alternatives, thanks to its light weight. Other than soothing your tired muscles, this oil will also keep your skin moisturised and smooth without making it greasy.
• Extra Virgin Coconut Oil: The highlights of this oil are its hydrating and cooling properties. Its use is extremely common in massage centres in the UAE due to its ability to combat dry heat. The oil is known to offer a smooth glide. This feature of extra virgin coconut oil makes it perfect for massage therapies performed on muscle atrophy patients, where therapists need to be careful about the amount of pressure they apply.
• Sesame Oil: Massage therapists treating patients with muscle atrophy prefer this oil due to its detoxifying and warming properties, as well as its ability to penetrate deep muscle tissues and release tension.

Swedish Massage: Swedish massage was designed to promote relaxation of the entire body. This massage type is instrumental in improving blood circulation, releasing muscle tension and reducing stress.

Depending on your symptoms, the therapist doing men massage in Abu Dhabi will use oils, lotions, or a combination of the two when performing a Swedish massage. Each session of the massage is 60 to 90 minutes long and involves the use of five different techniques.

Aromatherapy Massage: Physicians recommend aromatherapy massage to patients with muscle atrophy experiencing symptoms such as extreme muscle discomfort and stiffness. The process helps enhance circulation and soothe muscle tension. During aromatherapy massage, the masseur dilutes essential oils such as rosemary oil, peppermint oil, lavender oil, ginger oil, and/or eucalyptus oil in a carrier oil to perform a therapeutic massage.

If you are in Abu Dhabi or any of its neighbouring areas, you should not look beyond Hot Stone Massage Center to get a massage for managing muscle atrophy symptoms. This spa cum massage centre is known for having the best masseurs in the UAE working for them. The expertise of these individuals, coupled with the high-quality products they use, will offer you quick relief from your problem.

Author Bio:

This write-up has been written by an experienced masseur practising in the UAE. He has witnessed the evolution of massage therapy in the country, from a technique used only to induce relaxation to a treatment procedure enabling more effective management of various health disorders.