Does massage really remove toxins?

Question

How can massaging fat "break" it up and release it from the body as they say?

Answer 1

No, massage does not remove "toxins." Massage can not break up fat or release it from the body. These are false claims. Your body is designed to remove what new-age-y people call toxins through the reliable but rather unglamorous functions of excretion, urination, and perspiration. As for fat, you need to eat fewer calories and exercise more if you wish to be less fat. All very simple but very effective.

Answer 2

I research alternative medicine as a hobby and because I am an emergency room nurse. I am thinking about going back for my masters to research alt.med. more effectively.

I have not seen any real scientific research whatsoever that supports those claims. There is no scientific evidence that massage does not break up fat. There is no evidence that it encourages lactic acid to be worked out of tissues.

I'll be the first to admit that I could be wrong. Show me a peer-reviewed scientific study and I'll admit that I was wrong. However, so far in my research, I haven't seen it. So far, it is Bullhsit.

I realize that there are several people who are saying that it does. When you have some people saying one thing, and other people saying another... you have to consider the answers carefully. Science is best way to determine the truth of something like this. Right now, science says that massage therapy doesn't do the things you are asking about. Scientists might come up with a study that supports these claims... but so far they have just shot them down.

Let me also admit that I still get the occasional massage though. Hey, they feel good!

Answer 3

Massage releases toxins into the body to be more readily excreted. You should drink plenty of water after a massage to help flush them out. It does not break up fat.

Answer 4

massage accelerates your body's metabolism ( one sign of this is increased blood pressure). a raised metabolism means that all body functions operated faster, so massage speeds up the normal toxin removal systems. in this way, by making it work faster, does massage help remove toxins.
the only thing that breaks up fat is blood. massaging a fatty area increases blood flow through the fat moreso than doing nothing. so it can be said that massage helps break down fat by increasing blood flow to fat. hydrotherapy (hot packs, microwave gel packs, hot water bottles, hot baths, hot tubs, etc.) also increases blood flow in fat, so it can do the same thing to fat that massage does.

Answer 5

Yes massage does help you to release toxins such as lactic acids, cellular waste, and helping your body naturally eliminating waste.

Answer 6

Massage can move lactic acid out of muscles after exercising (lactic acid makes muscles sore), but cannot get rid of fat.

Answer 7

no