Reaping the Benefits of Massage

If you've tested positive for COVID-19, it's important to self-isolate until you've had one or more negative tests. The amount of time that it takes to test negative can vary from case to case, but once you're over this virus, you'll be ready to return to everyday life. One treat that you may wish to give yourself after recovering from COVID is a massage. Massage therapy can be enjoyable in all sorts of scenarios, but you may find that it's especially warranted in your situation. Here are some areas you may wish to have your massage therapist focus on.

Chest

After you've recovered from COVID, you may have some soreness in your chest. If you did a lot of coughing while you were ill, the muscles in your chest can continue to be sore until they heal. Massage therapy can be a good way to make sore muscles heal quickly. Given the discomfort that you've experienced in this part of your body for days or perhaps even weeks, it's a deeply pleasant feeling to have your massage therapist gently knead the muscles in your chest.

Ribs

There are lots of small muscles along the sides of your rib cage, and while you might not ask your massage therapist to work on these muscles during a standard massage appointment, they're worth some attention after you've recovered from COVID. As with the muscles in your chest, your rib cage muscles can be strained from frequent coughing. An experienced massage therapist will know just the right amount of pressure to use on these fine muscles to alleviate some of the discomfort you've been experiencing.

Back

The back is a popular part of your body to get treated during a massage appointment, but it can especially be good to focus on after a COVID recovery. After repeated coughing, the muscles of your upper back can be sore. Additionally, a lot of people hold tension in their back muscles. It's reasonable to expect that these muscles tightened up while you were sick as a result of the stress that you experienced while ill, so it's good to have a massage therapist work on them. Finally, if you were more sedentary than usual while you were ill — perhaps doing a lot of lying in bed and resting on the couch — you may find that your lower back is sore. A thorough massage treatment from the bottom of your back to the top can help it feel significantly better. 

For more info, contact a local company like Good Hands Massage.