Working hard to sit at your desk? Pushing your body to its limits at training? Massage can improve your circulation, which in return helps speed up soft tissue injuries.
Massage may also reduce muscular pain and the effects of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Although massage has no effect on muscle function, a study by Edith Cowan University in Western Australia found that massage was effective in alleviating DOMS by up to 30%.
When you have a massage there is a release of serotonin, which is the body's natural anti-pain chemical, helping you to relax. Another side-effect of pain is it can result in a lack of restorative deep sleep. A massage helps to increase deep sleep, which translates to less pain.