Why massages ease muscle soreness post workouts

Researchers have revealed that massage therapy improves general blood flow and alleviates muscle soreness after exercise.

According to a study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago, massage improved vascular function in people who had not exercised, suggesting that massage has benefits for people regardless of their level of physical activity.

Shane Phillips, UIC associate professor of physical therapy, said that improved circulation and relief of muscle soreness are common claims made for massage's benefits, but no studies have substantiated such claims, even though massage therapy is increasingly used as an adjunct to traditional medical interventions.

Nina Cherie Franklin said that they believe that massage is really changing physiology in a positive way and it not just increase the blood flow but there is actually a vascular response.

The study was published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.