Do you suffer from painful joints? You may not remember the time you twisted your ankle while playing sports in high school, but your body does.
A study has found that post-traumatic arthritis is one of the main causes of painful joints. When an injury affects a joint, it can heal completely, but also develop arthritis (sometimes decades later!).
Common sports injuries that can trigger joint pain include sprains, knee injuries, cartilage tears, fractures and dislocations. Fortunately, the massage can relieve you!
So how does it work and how do you train? What precautions to take? What actions should be put in place to optimize your recovery?
How does sore joint care work?
How does massagereduce pain for people with arthritis? We already know that a massaging action reduces anxiety and the discomfort of painful joints.
In fact, research has shown that massage can reduce the body's production of cortisol, a stress hormone. It also lowers levels of the hormone arginine-vasopressin, which causes high blood pressure, and increases the production of serotonin, a mood-boosting hormone. There are many variables involved in how massage can work to relieve pain, stiffness and anxiety. A companion article: Massage and stiffness: how to optimize your recovery?
The actual mechanism that comes into play is still to be determined. For example, more restful sleep that results from massage can relieve arthritis pain.
What matters most is the level of pressure used in the massage. Stimulating pressure receptors, which are nerves under the skin that transmit pain-reducing signals to the brain, stimulated with moderate pressure result in a reduction of symptoms.
That's why our massage gun has 3 different working speeds, to apply the necessary pressure according to your needs.
The main thing is to use moderate pressure, because light pressure (just touching the surface of the skin or brushing it superficially) does not reach these pressure receptors.
How to massage painful joints?
You can tell if you have post-traumatic arthritis because it only affects one joint. To perform massages, you can, of course, use your hands.
But as mentioned above, you must apply sufficient pressure to relax your muscles and relieve your painful joints effectively. That's why we designed the Intense Massage Gun™: it allows you to massage your entire body for better recovery and easily relieve your joints.
Whether for body aches, lack of mobility, or warming up before a workout, this tool has 4 massage heads to adapt to each part of your body.
Ultra-quiet with 6 hours of battery life, you can carry it anywhere with you to heal your cracking joints whenever you feel the need.This way, you are sure that your massages are really effective, you don't waste time and you keep your motivation
How to train when you suffer from painful joints?
You need to switch to low impact activities. If you're showing signs of aching joints, it's time to slow down! This is because once arthritis sets in, it can be difficult to reverse it. We therefore advise you to exercise gently, which means that you do not completely stop using the joint.
To avoid worsening its deterioration, you simply do not continue to use it as you have done in the past. Low-impact activities help strengthen your joints while preventing further damage. These activities include swimming, cycling, walking, elliptical training or even yoga. You can consult: How to combine swimming and strength training and what are the benefits?
Avoid doing overly strenuous strengthening or muscle-building exercises, especially if you have joint pain. But don't go to the opposite extreme, and don't be afraid to exercise. exercise if you have had an injury or are in pain.
If you don't use it, you will lose mobility. So inactivity is just as bad as overuse. So make sure you keep working your body, but do it in a way effective and gentle. Plus, it helps you maintain your muscle gains between massages!
What precautions should be taken with painful joints?
Consult a healthcare professional
If you'd like to try one of the many types of massage to relieve your aching joints, it's important to check with your rheumatologist or GP first to make sure the massage is safe for you. We invite you to read: Sports massage: Everything you need to know
Indeed, some techniques may involve strong pressure on sensitive tissues and joints or moving limbs into various positions that can be difficult for someone with really damaged joints. Be careful when considering a massage if you have:
- joints damaged or eroded by arthritis;
- inflammation, fever or rash;
- severe osteoporosis (brittle bones);
- high blood pressure;
Connecting to your body
It is also very important to stay tuned to your body: if you feel pain or if you are not comfortable with the massaging action of the massage gun, decrease the intensity or stop your session. Massage should improve your sore joints and stiffness, not make it worse.
If it hurts, don't. And if you really have trouble performing the massages yourself, you can go to a massage therapist, which can not only lead you to a qualified professional, but also help you benefit from a reimbursement if your insurance policy covers massages. An alternative solution: Red or white tiger balm: Which use?
You must understand that massage is not a medicine: it is a supplement that allows you to accelerate your healing and obtain beneficial results.
What actions can you take to relieve your painful joints even faster?
The massaging action of our massage gun will already help you heal your aching joints, but there are also some tips to maximize your efforts. You can combine massages with the following tips:
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Drinking cool water: Drinking right after your massage is one of the best things you can do to help your muscles and joints recover. Staying well hydrated helps reduce any pain or inflammation that may have occurred during massage.
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Be regular: To get the most out of your massages, you need them on a regular and ongoing basis. The more regular you are, the better your results will be. However, do not go to the opposite extreme. Your muscles need time to recover and repair between each massage session. We also advise you to read: How to use massages in CrossFit and bodybuilding?
- Consider acupuncture or acupressure massage: Acupuncture and acupressure are two types of massage based on traditional Chinese medicine and can be good for people with painful joints . Acupuncture uses very fine needles inserted into trigger points to release muscle tension.
Similarly, acupressure involves pushing on specific energy points on the body. These two techniques can relieve pain, reduce swelling of muscle tissue and enjoy better mobility.
- Try Epsom salt baths : What you do right after your massage can be just as important as the massage itself. Many therapists recommend taking a hot bath with Epsom salts at home after the massage.
The heat and magnesium can help keep your muscles loose and supple and will help keep you in a relaxed state.
- Test Heat Therapy: Heat therapy soothes stiffness and pain in arthritic joints, so incorporating it into your massage is a great way to increase the benefits of both. This usually involves heating smooth stones, the size of the palm of your hand, then placing them in specific places on your joints.
The stones aren't hot enough to burn you, but the localized heat can help open up your blood vessels in that area, allowing your massage to be more effective.
In summary: painful joints
You will have understood: painful joints can handicap you in your training, but it is not inevitable. Massage promotes your recovery and stimulates blood circulation, which helps to relieve your pain.
To be sure of effective massaging actions, we recommend our Intense massage gun™, which offers 3 different working speeds and 4 massage heads.
This allows you to adapt the intensity of the massage to the intensity of your pain. You don't have to stop exercising altogether, but instead favor gentle sports activities. This allows you to maintain your muscle gains while enjoying the benefits of massage. If you have any doubts, consider consulting a doctor.
Tune in to your body and combine your massaging actions with our 5 additional tips to heal faster Your aching joints will soon be a distant memory!
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