Whether or not you’re familiar with the term repetitive motion injury (also called repetitive strain injury or RSI) or not, chances are you or someone you know has experienced it at some point. Repetitive motion injuries may manifest in the form of aches, shooting pains, and other uncomfortable sensations. While most common in the wrist, forearm, and hands, RSI pain can also be felt in the neck, shoulders, and lower back.
While some RSI pain may be short-term discomfort, other injuries can be more chronic in nature. No matter which you experience, however, reducing muscle pain from repetitive motion injuries is possible with a variety of different treatments. Keep reading to learn how massage may effectively help reduce muscle pain from repetitive motion injuries and get back to living pain free.
What Is a Repetitive Motion Injury and Who Gets Them?
Muscle pain from repetitive motion injuries are extremely common, but what exactly is a repetitive motion injury? As the name suggests, these ailments are damages done to your muscles, tendons, or nerves caused by repetitive motions or constant use. They can affect areas such as the wrists and fingers, elbows and knees, neck and shoulders, and even the lower back.
While the term repetitive motion injury may be new to you, you’ve likely heard of some of the most common RSI-associated ailments such as:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tennis elbow
- Back strains and sprains
- Tendinitis
- Plantar fasciitis
- Trigger finger and trigger thumb
Because repetitive motion injuries are caused by doing the same motion or activity repeatedly until it starts to hurt your body, anyone can develop them. Some of the most common sufferers of RSI pain are those working in an office setting at a computer, workers with physically demanding jobs, athletes, and musicians.
While any motion or movement can cause a repetitive strain injury if you do it too often, most muscle pain from repetitive motion injuries is treatable at home. Before beginning any home treatments, however, it’s important to speak to a medical professional to ensure it’s safe for you to do so.
How Can Massage Help Muscle Pain From Repetitive Motion Injuries?
While there are a wide variety of available methods for relief, getting a regular massage is a popular and potentially-effective method for reducing muscle pain from repetitive motion injuries. Studies have recognized its usefulness in treating RSI pain as it counteracts inflammation, reduces muscle pain, and stimulates blood flow throughout the body.
For those unable to fit regular massage appointments into their schedules, the evolution of today’s luxury massage chairs have granted the benefits of massage therapy at home. Regardless of choosing between 3D vs 4D massage chairs, selecting between S-track vs L-track frames, and other massage chair features, today’s models offer more than ever before. In fact, the advancements in massage chair features and design have effectively eliminated any difference between using a massage chair vs human massage.
Whether you’re using a full body massage chair or making appointments with a massage therapist, massage may help reduce muscle pain from repetitive motion injuries by:
- Alleviating muscle pain and soreness
- Improving blood circulation
- Reducing pressure on the lower back and pelvic areas
- Improving mobility and flexibility
- Enhancing your relaxation
Alleviating Muscle Pain and Soreness
It’s no secret that one of the benefits of owning a massage chair or having regular appointments is how it may help reduce pain and soreness from your muscles, joints, and tendons. The areas a massage chair can target on or a therapist can reach help keep your muscles relaxed and reduce tension that may be exacerbating the pain.
Muscle pain from repetitive motion injuries is due to overuse and damage to the muscles, tissue, and tendons, so getting a massage is a clear way to potentially treat your ailments and get you back to being pain-free.
Improving Blood Circulation
Another benefit of massage therapy that may help reduce muscle pain from repetitive motion injuries is better blood flow. Different types of massage will work to focus on various injuries and functions, however they all stimulate better blood circulation throughout the body.
How does blood flow affect muscle pain from RSI, you ask? Blood delivers nutrients and oxygen to your muscles, tissue, and bodily organs. This is essential to both their performance as well as their ability to recover. The better your circulation, the faster you’re likely to heal. This goes for any kind of injury from repetitive motion injuries to sports injury recovery and everything in between.
Reducing Pressure on the Lower Back and Pelvis
While massage itself may not alleviate pressure on your lower back and pelvic areas, using a massage chair with zero gravity position capabilities will. In the zero gravity position, the legs are elevated above the heart level and weight is distributed along the body. This drastically reduces the pressure on the lower back, making it not only potentially effective for reducing muscle pain from repetitive motion injuries, but also for sciatica treatment at home and lower back pain relief.
In addition to reducing pressure on the lower back that may alleviate pain from repetitive motion injuries, zero gravity massage chairs may also drastically improve blood circulation, which is crucial to how the body heals itself.
Improving Mobility and Flexibility
Finding ways to improve mobility and enhance flexibility are important for reducing muscle pain from repetitive motion injuries. While you don’t want to overdo your injury, getting a massage may help expand your overall range of motion, preventing future flare ups or further injury.
Additionally, getting a regular massage to reduce muscle pain from repetitive motion injuries could help restore any lost range of motion you experienced as you were injured. This may be especially important for athletes, active individuals, or those requiring they be particularly dextrous for work.
Massage Deepens Relaxation
Last, though certainly not least, on ways massage may help with reducing muscle pain from repetitive motion injuries is how it deepens relaxation. The catalyst for your pain due to repetitive motion injuries may be overused, but that pain adds to stress levels and becomes a self-feeding negative cycle.
Fortunately, getting a massage can help deepen relaxation and allow you to de-stress and re-energize while you heal. This stress relief may reduce subconscious muscle tension that is exacerbating the RSI pain, as well.
Pro Tip: For even more relaxation and relief, try combining stress relief methods like meditation or breathing exercises with a massage chair experience for the best of both worlds.
Repetitive motion injuries are very common, but also usually very treatable. While it’s important to consult a medical professional before beginning any home treatment for reducing muscle pain from repetitive motion injuries, you may find choosing a massage chair brings relief home quickly. Check out how today’s advanced massage chairs may help you and get you back to living a pain-free life!
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