How Can Massage Help With Posture (Answered)

Bad habits like allowing your muscles to become inactive, sitting incorrectly, and slouching can result in postural imbalance and dysfunction. In addition, repetition of this bad habit over an extended period can push out your spine and joints out of their normal alignment.

Also, long-term posture issues can have debilitating musculoskeletal effects and cause joint degeneration. Hence you must seek treatment to correct your postural defects. Fortunately, there are many ways to help correct a bad posture, and massage therapy is one. 

This article will show you how regular massage can help you improve your posture and other interesting details you need to know.

let’s get started!

 

What Is Poor Posture?

Poor posture occurs when your spine is placed in unnatural positions that strain the spinal curvature, causing increased stress on your muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons.

In addition, this incorrect positioning for a long time leads to an increase in pressure in the surrounding soft tissues.

Most people spend a good number of years sitting and slouching forward to work, driving, and sitting to eat. This has a significant impact on their bodies and leads to various muscle imbalances. 

For example, when you lean over a desk, your body loses its correct alignment, and this forces some muscles to work hard throughout the day while others weaken.

Furthermore, when you sit in the same position for long periods, it trains your muscles to lengthen, shorten and even reshape. 

This leads to muscle imbalance, which can pull your body and muscles into a bad posture.

How Getting A Massage Improves Your Posture

Will a massage fix my posture?

Yes, getting a massage will help loosen and relax your sore muscles due to bad posture. Furthermore, massage relieves the pressure points and helps your body reposition itself into a pain-free and natural posture, allowing your joints and muscles to exert greater freedom.

For instance, the usual posture, such as sitting at a desk, is likely to strain unevenly on your body. This results in some muscles working way too much, while others weaken due to lack of use. 

By easing your body’s muscle tension and pain, massage therapy can help the body settle more naturally in an orderly, uniformly distributed posture. Massage can also improve the mobility of your joints, which is another significant factor that enhances a proper body posture. 

Additionally, a continuous massage usually yields more consistent results in terms of improving posture. So, if you want to see the physical and mental benefits of good posture, we recommend that you receive a nice massage regularly.

Also Read: Massage Therapy: 14 Frequently Asked Questions Answered

What Are Contributing Factors Of Poor Posture?

Below are some contributing factors if poor posture: 

• Poor ergonomic work area
• Occupational demands
• Joint stiffness
• Muscle weakness/muscle tightness
• Poor core stability
• Years of sitting and studying/working slouched at a desk
• Lack of awareness/education of correct posture
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Decreased fitness

Effects And Symptoms Of Poor Posture?

People with bad posture commonly complain of low back pain. However, research shows arm, shoulder, and even neck pain is now a common symptom of postural dysfunction.

Other signs and effects of poor posture include:

• Joint compression
• Overactive and underactive muscles
• Stress
• Pain
• Muscle fatigue
• Limited mobility
• Headaches
• Breathing limitations

What Are The Best Suitable Massage Types To Improve Posture?

Here are the three most common types of massage appropriate for improving your body posture:

• Swedish Massage
• Sports Massage
• Deep Tissue Massage

#1. A Swedish Massage 

Swedish massage has a therapeutic effect on a person, but it can also improve posture. This type of massage can relax you both physically and mentally. During a swedish massage, gentle or hard pressure can be applied depending on your preferences.

Additionally, swedish massage aims to relieve your muscles and joints of stress and tension. The accumulation of stress and tension around your spine region can cause stiffness and pain, resulting in poor posture. 

A Swedish massage decreases stiffness and relieves pain, thereby improving posture and promoting relaxation.

#2. Sports Massage

Sports massage focuses on soft tissue areas, and the pressure varies depending on personal preference. This type of massage stimulates blood circulation to improve muscle temperature. 

A muscle temperature boosts joint flexibility and muscle elasticity. Enhancing flexibility and elasticity in muscles and joints increases freedom of movement and reduces pain and restrictions. A reduction in pain and restrictions allows for normal posture and relaxation.

#3. Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage is effective for improving posture. The deep tissue massage focuses on the muscle fibers and connective tissue deeper layers. Depending on the preference of the person, different pressure is exerted on the soft tissue areas. 

Furthermore, deep tissue massage helps to lower muscle restriction and tightness. As a result, there is an increase in mobility and range of motion. Besides, increased mobility or range of movement can help your posture return to normal.

Also Read: Is Being A Massage Therapist Worth It? Incl. 4 Hard Realities You Should Know.

When Can A Massage Help Improve Posture?

Mentioned below are three common situations a massage can help to improve your posture:

• Relaxation
• Acute Pain
• Tight Muscles

#1. Relaxation

Relaxation can improve poor posture. It’s a fact that poor posture results in increased stress and muscle restriction. So enhancing your posture helps you relax physically, as it reduces pain, restrictions, and tightness, giving more freedom of movement. 

Massage therapy also stimulates the release of positive hormones in the body, all of which help relax. 

As posture improves and pain decreases, the positive hormones circulating in your body can give you a sense of relief and a happy mood feeling, both of which contribute to increased relaxation.

#2. Acute Pain

A good posture can help relieve acute pain. Poor posture can lead to muscular knots, restricted mobility, and stiffness of the joints, which increases pain. Stress can also occur due to the pain and lack of movement. 

During a massage, your posture is improved by loosening muscles and releasing muscle tension. 

Your joint mobility is also enhanced during the massage due to the specific techniques applied during the massage session. Stress is relieved by reducing muscle tension and increasing mobility. By reducing stress and improving posture, you reduce pain.

#3. Tight Muscles

Tightness of muscle decreases as posture improves. When your posture is poor, your muscles tend to tighten to increase the stability of your core and keep you upright. 

When you experience tightening of your muscles, movement is restricted, and tension can build up, which can cause muscle knots. 

Furthermore, tension and muscle knots can further increase the tightness and pain of your muscle. Nevertheless, a massage helps release muscle tension which keeps your trunk upright so it can relax. 

Relaxed muscles lower muscle tension and reduce muscle tightness.

Also Read: Massage Therapy for Tinnitus & 7 Relevant Things to Know

Other Ways To Treat Or Improve Posture

Although massage is effective for relieving a bad posture, there are other ways to improve and maintain a good posture. They’re as follows:

• Regular Exercises/Stretches 

A significant risk factor for poor posture is a sedentary lifestyle. Of course, if you sit (while working) on a  comfortable couch, or chair all the time, your body’s alignment will weaken, and you will become stiff even when you feel relaxed. 

Instead, keep your body relaxed and maintain a good range of motion by exercising regularly. We recommend you exercise and do stretches 30 minutes per day, five days a week.

• Maintain A Straight Back When Walking Or Standing

Try not to bend or hunch when walking or even standing. Squeezing your muscle in the glutes helps keep the pelvis level at your hip joints. And this prevents them from angling and causing you pain.

• Avoid Spending Much Time On Your Smartphone

Smartphones are not suitable for your posture. Nowadays, people spend far too much time with their heads bent down looking at their tiny smartphone screens. This could lead to pain in the back, neck, shoulders and misalignment of your body. 

• Lean Back Slightly When Seated

If you need to sit down, ensure to slightly lean back while you sit. A more open angle of the hip joint will reduce the pressure on the intervertebral discs in the spine, compress them less and alleviate low back pain.

• Avoid Sitting For Extended Periods.

If you typically sit for long hours while working, ensure to set a timer to alert you to get up and go for a brief walk at least once per hour. It’s also a good practice not to spend more time sitting than you need to do. So when you’re done with work, get up and try to do something active each day.

Final Words

Finally, there is no denying that poor posture can impede your breathing and cause other health issues. Hence I recommend you get a massage because this therapy is simple and effective in correcting poor body posture. 

Besides, massage therapy aims to relax your overworked and sore muscles. Therefore you will not only experience relief at your pressure points, but you will also enjoy better freedom of movement.

Also Read: Massage Gun: 9 Common Questions Answered

Disclaimer: The information contained in this website results from in-depth research on various topics. The articles on this site are only for informational and educational purposes, and it’s not intended as medical or health advice. Hence, we suggest you always ensure to seek the opinion of your doctor or other qualified health personnel regarding any questions that relate to health objectives or medical conditions.