Massage for Circulation: What the Research Shows
Massage for Blood Circulation: A Look Through Research and Traditional Medicine
Most of us have experienced it at some point: icy cold hands in winter, heavy legs after a long flight, or persistent shoulder tension after a week at the desk. The advice we often hear is simple: “You just need to get your blood flowing.”
Massage is commonly believed to improve circulation. But what does that actually mean? But what does that actually mean?
At Open Care Community in downtown Brooklyn, we aim to bridge modern biomedical research with the long-standing wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). While Western science focuses on vascular health and oxygen delivery, Eastern medicine emphasizes the flow of qi (energy). Interestingly, both perspectives often arrive at the same conclusion: movement supports healing.
In this guide, we’ll explore what research says about massage and circulation, how therapies like tui na and gua sha work, and how Open Care Community makes these treatments accessible through a sliding-scale model.
What Does “Circulation” Mean in Western and Chinese Medicine?
To understand how bodywork may support circulation, it helps to first clarify what circulation actually refers to. The concept of circulation can differ depending on whether you’re speaking with a Western medical practitioner or a Chinese medicine practitioner.
What Does Circulation Mean in Western Medicine?
In Western medicine, circulation mainly refers to the cardiovascular system. It is the process of pumping oxygenated blood by the heart to the tissues via the arteries and returning blood to the heart through the veins. Circulation also involves the lymphatic system, which helps remove waste products and maintain fluid balance. When circulation is impaired, people may experience cold hands and feet, numbness or tingling, fatigue, or swelling (edema), particularly in the legs or ankles.
How Is Circulation Viewed in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)?
When we speak of flow in our clinic, we have a more comprehensive perspective. In TCM, circulation includes both blood (xue) and qi. Qi is often described as the vital energy that drives the movement of blood. Qi and blood are interdependent. When qi becomes stagnant or depleted, blood flow may also slow.
It is on this basis that the concept of pain, be it in the form of sports injury or chronic tension, is seen as a traffic jam, an indicator of stagnation. Bodywork is meant to remove that jam so that both energy and blood may nourish the area once again.
What Does Scientific Research Say About Massage and Circulation?
Modern research increasingly supports what many traditional practitioners have long observed. While massage is not a cure-all, peer-reviewed studies have shown that massage has a major role in vascular health.
What forms of massage have been studied for their circulation benefits?
The major studies have been done in Swedish massage, deep massage, and sports massage. However, the observed mechanisms are also relevant to the other modalities applied at Open Care, namely Tui Na (Chinese medical massage) and active release techniques. These treatments include compression and friction, which are physical aids in moving fluids.
Does massage augment blood circulation and vascularity?
The answer to this question is in the affirmative, especially at the local level (in the area of treatment). A 2014 study published in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation examined the effects of massage on vascular function. Researchers found that massage therapy increased blood flow in the arteries and muscles of healthy adults after exercise. The manual pressure appeared to stimulate arterial dilation, helping improve nutrient delivery to tissues.
Does massage facilitate lymphatic circulation or swellings?
This is the area where bodywork comes in. Unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system does not have its own pump. It is based on physical movement of the body and body manipulation to move the fluid. Studies suggest that manual therapies may help support venous return, the blood and lymph traveling back to the heart. This is the reason bodywork is often encouraged in the process of post-injury healing; it aids in the alleviation of swelling, which can contribute to pain and discomfort.
Which Bodywork Therapies are Recommended to Facilitate Circulation at Open Care?
We do not just provide generic rub-downs at the Open Care Community. Traditional Chinese Medicine is the foundation of our bodywork treatments and is aimed at solving certain blockages in your Qi and blood.
What is the effect of Tui Na on Qi and the circulation?
Tui Na (pronounced twee-nah) is sometimes described as “acupuncture without needles.” It is a motion-based treatment in which methods like brushing, kneading, rolling, and pressing along the meridians (energy channels) of the body are used. A normal massage may only be aimed at calming the muscles, but Tui Na is intentional in the movement of blood and dissipation. The stimulation encourages circulation and activates the body’s natural healing responses.
How does the Gua Sha help in enhancing microcirculation?
You may have seen Gua Sha on social media, where treatments often leave small red marks on the skin. These marks are called “sha” and are not bruises or injuries, which in TCM signify the escape of heat and stagnation within the deepest parts of the tissue. This observation is supported by science. In one study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, it was shown that Gua Sha treatment produces a significant effect in enhancing microcirculation of the superficial tissues, which researchers observed alongside reductions in pain and inflammation.
Does Cupping help with circulation?
Cupping is a process that entails the use of glass or silicone cups that are placed on the skin to produce suction. The suction gently lifts the skin and underlying tissue. It may sound drastic, but it is very soothing. Gua Sha is mostly applied when the tension is especially superficial and tight, or when the neck has a feeling of heat or inflammation. The scraping motion allows the blood cells to reach the surface, and this is seen as small red dots known as sha. This sequence triggers the immune system of the body to arrive at the region and mend the tissue, effectively disintegrating scar tissue and adhesions, which inhibit movement.
What is the role of Trigger point release and Acupuncture?
There are other times that the knot on your shoulder is really a Trigger Point, a hotspot on the muscle that may radiate the pain to other areas (such as the source of a tension headache behind your eyes). We can apply trigger point release or electro-acupuncture in our sports medicine and orthopedic treatment. It is done by inserting the thin sterile needles directly into the tight band of muscle. This may result in twitching of the muscle followed by instant relaxation of the same, which reestablishes the neural feedback loop that had been keeping the muscle tight. It can be considered as one of the quickest methods to reopen a long-tensed muscle.
What Should the Frequency of Massage or Bodywork Be Among Desk Workers?
The most frequently asked one is, Is this a one-time fix? Although a single session is a relief, the effects of a 40-hour workweek often require a longer-term plan.
Is There an Ideal Treatment Frequency of Chronic Tension?
We frequently prescribe a course of treatments for patients who are already in pain or experiencing symptoms associated with tech neck, to be taken at close intervals, for example, once per week for three to four weeks. This assists us in breaking the circle of suffering and holding. It is best to transition to a maintenance schedule after the acute pain subsides. Most desk employees can easily manage stress and keep the tissues supple with just one or two sessions of bodywork or community acupuncture per month.
Is Long-term Massage a Prevention of Long-term Postures?
Yes. The brain is neuroplastic, i.e., it learns habits. When you are sitting in a slump for 10 years, your brain will start tracing that slump as normal. When done regularly, bodywork will bring sensory input to remind your brain of what neutrality and being relaxed actually feel like. It opens a window of opportunity in which you can sit in a better posture since the muscles are not struggling against you.
Require further care plan advice? Book a private consultation to discuss other possibilities other than massage.
What Can You Do Between Massage Sessions to Extend the Benefits?
We also want you to feel better outside the clinic. The following are some of the methods of prolonging that post-treatment joy.
Do Mobility Exercises Every Day Help?
You do not have to go to the gym and work on your neck. These are some of the simple motions that you can do at your desk after every 60 minutes:
Scapula Retractions: Squeeze the shoulders just like you are attempting to squeeze a pencil. Hold for 5 seconds, release. Repeat 10 times.
Chin Tucks: Do not tilt your head, but pull the chin back (forming a double chin). This is an anti-postural position.
Extension of the Thorax: Hands behind your head, arch backwards and over the chair-top, bringing the chest open.
How Can I Have the Most Ergonomic Desk Setups?
When your workspace is not supportive, your body often compensates in unhealthy ways. The position of the neutral body is important, according to the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) guidelines. A quick checklist:
Monitor: It should be directly over the head or just below it to ensure that you are not looking down.
Elbows: These must be at right angles, and they should be placed in a comfortable position against your body.
Feet: Flat on a footrest or on the floor.
Acupressure or Self-Massage? Can it Help When I Feel Tense?
Absolutely. In case you have some kind of headache coming up or tension building:
GB21 (Gallbladder 21): This point is found at the most acute point of the shoulder muscle between the neck and the tip of the shoulder. Applying pressure here may help relieve shoulder tension.
LI4 (Large Intestine 4): This point is found on the back of the hand, where there is a webbing of the thumb and index finger. Chinese medicine is known to pinch this point to alleviate headaches and move energy down the upper body.
Neck and Back Tension: Where Can Brooklyn Desk Workers Access Affordable, Whole-Person Care?
Wellness care in New York City can be expensive and difficult to navigate. Open Care Community is what we founded to do so.
What Makes Open Care Community Different from a Typical Massage Clinic?
We do not offer a luxury spa or a clinical, sterile medical office. We are a community hub. We are guided by our philosophy, which is based on the idea that access to healthcare should be equitable.
Integrated Care: We do not simply rub the muscles; we incorporate acupuncture, Tui Na, cupping, and herbal medicine to treat the cause.
Sliding Scale: We have a community sliding scale of acupuncture and bodywork services between $50 and 90 (with a one-time $15 intake fee). We do not request verification of income. Our patients will be trusted to pay what they can afford.
Trauma-Informed: We aim to provide a safe and non-judgmental environment in which you will be heard and valued.
What is the Booking of an Appointment at Open Care Community?
We’ve made the booking process simple. You can reserve online whether you are only looking to get the tune-up within our community room or have a comprehensive personal session.
Location: We are well placed in downtown Brooklyn: 44 Court Street, Suite 1000 (10th floor), Brooklyn, NY 11201. Contact:
Call or Text: (917) 426-1138
Email: info@opencarecommunity.com
Ready to relieve shoulder tension and restore balance? Book your first bodywork or acupuncture appointment today—sessions start at $50.
