- Through various massage actions such as kneading, massaging and vibrating, massagers can promote the dilation of local blood vessels, allowing more blood to flow to the muscle tissues. Blood can bring more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, which is helpful for the repair and recovery of muscles. Meanwhile, it can carry away metabolic waste such as lactic acid, thus reducing the muscle soreness caused by the accumulation of metabolic waste. For example, using a vibrating massager to massage the leg muscles after exercise can significantly accelerate the blood circulation speed and relieve the muscle soreness.
- Massagers can relax tense muscles and relieve muscle spasms and stiffness. When the muscles are in a tense state, the pressure between muscle fibers increases, which can cause pain. The physical stimulation of massagers can stretch muscle fibers and reduce the internal pressure of muscles, thereby alleviating soreness. For example, the rolling massage of a roller massager on the neck and shoulders can effectively relax the neck muscles such as the trapezius muscle and relieve the muscle tension and soreness caused by long-term desk work.
- The tension and swelling of muscles can sometimes compress the surrounding nerves, causing pain and discomfort. By relaxing the muscles and reducing the compression of muscles on the nerves, massagers can help relieve nerve compression symptoms and reduce pain. For example, when the muscles around the cervical spine are tense, they may compress the cervical nerves, causing symptoms such as numbness and pain in the upper limbs. Using a neck massager to massage can, to a certain extent, relieve muscle tension, reduce nerve compression and improve related symptoms.
- Massage stimulation can prompt the body to secrete endorphins, which are natural painkillers with analgesic and pleasurable effects. They can help improve the body's tolerance to pain, making people feel more relaxed and comfortable, thus relieving the discomfort caused by muscle soreness both psychologically and physiologically. For example, after using a massager for a full-body massage, many people will feel relaxed both physically and mentally, and the pain is significantly reduced, which is partly due to the secretion of endorphins.
- Regular use of massagers can help improve muscle flexibility and elasticity, making the muscles more flexible and reducing the occurrence of muscle strains and soreness. Through the stretching and relaxation effects of massage, muscle fibers can better adapt to the needs of sports and daily activities and improve the functional state of the muscles. For example, for people who exercise regularly, using a massager for proper massage before and after exercise can help the muscles recover faster, improve muscle flexibility and reduce the possibility of muscle soreness in the next exercise.
However, the effect of massagers in relieving muscle soreness can also be affected by some factors, such as the type of massager, usage method, frequency of use, cause and degree of muscle soreness, etc. For severe muscle strains, sprains or muscle soreness caused by other diseases, relying solely on massagers may not completely solve the problem, and other treatment methods such as rest, physical therapy and drug treatment are also needed.
