Your Daily Dose of Health

– Dr. Ken Sheridan

A lot of athletes ask my opinion on pre and post race massage.  I feel that, generally speaking, if you have the opportunity to lie on a table and have someone rub you down for an hour, TAKE IT!

But seriously, if you’re wondering about the benefits or drawbacks of massage, here they are in a nutshell.  Personally, I think it is beneficial enough to have several massage therapists in our clinic.

Benefits:

1. Massage enhances immunity by stimulating lymphatic flow; this fluid is part of our body’s natural defense systems.
2. Massage can increase circulation, thereby increasing oxygen and nutrient flow into the muscles to aid in healing.
3. Massage can reduce acute muscle spasms and cramping.
4. Massage reduces adhesions and scar tissue formation created by more chronic muscle injuries and imbalances, thereby increasing overall joint range of motion.

Massage techniques range from light, relaxing massage (Swedish massage) to very deep (Neuromuscular/Transverse Friction) massage.  Swedish massage is a lighter technique which is good for recovery following a prolonged effort like a marathon.  It will increase lymphatic flow and circulation to help clear lactic acid buildup from the system.

Cross friction massage lies at the other end of the spectrum and employs a deep rubbing across the muscle and tendon fibers.  This actually creates localized intentional bleeding.  Muscle fibers are well perfused with blood vessels, while tendons are not, and everything in the body heals according to its blood supply.  A greater blood supply brings in more nutrients for quicker healing in the muscle and scar formation in the tendon.  Bringing more blood to the tendon, while initially more painful, will yield a stronger, more flexible scar in a shorter period of time.  Performing cross friction massage on an acute injury will create more inflammation and disrupt more muscle fibers, slowing overall healing time.

The benefits of massage greatly outweigh the drawbacks, which are essentially related to the wrong touch.  No, I didn’t mean that way, I meant a massage that is deeper than appropriate for the tissue status can do more harm than good. 

Acute tissues, such as ones that were recently injured or are simply trying to recover from several hard training sessions, will have microscopic tears within the muscle.  Massaging these tissues too deeply can create more damage, delaying recovery, while a light massage technique can increase relaxation of the irritated tissues.  An experienced massage therapist will base the appropriateness of the technique used and the depth to which it is used based upon the client’s history, reason for massage, and tissue feel.

In general, my advice is that up to two weeks before a marathon, deep tissue massage can be used to reduce adhesions and lengthen scar tissue, provided it’s not immediately after your 20-21 mile benchmark runs.  This is particularly effective for IT Band syndrome, plantar fascitis and shin splints.  Within 10-14 days of your marathon, massage should be lighter and allow enough time for complete recovery before race day.

Many people will schedule a massage for the day after their race to decrease their discomfort.  I usually recommend a very light spin of 20-25 minutes on a stationary bike (low resistance, no hills) followed by stretching the day after race day or long benchmark run.  This takes the joints through a full range of motion and gently works blood back into (and metabolic waste out of) the muscles.  Scheduling a massage 4-7 days after your marathon will give some of the inflammation time to subside and allow the massage therapist to work deeper into the muscle for maximum benefit.

Good luck out there!

Dr. Ken Sheridan is a certified chiropractic sports physician, and specializes in strength and conditioning training. He has extensive experience working with athletes of all abilities, and is a runner himself. He practices at ActiveCare Chiropractic & Rehab in Golden.  Visit the web site for more information, or call (303) 279-0320. To submit your questions to Dr. Ken to help determine upcoming article topics, click here.