Does massage help relieve hangovers?

In the last days of the year, constant partying can overload the body and cause some symptoms due to using too much alcohol such as fatigue, headaches, dizziness… Many people choose massage to relieve hangovers.

Doctor 1 Le Thien Kim Huu, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital – Facility 3 said that massage has many different types and purposes, including: full-body massage, acupressure massage, relaxation massage, physical therapy massage, or combined with other methods such as cupping.

Among them, acupressure massage is recognized to help alleviate some symptoms of drunkenness.

However, other common types of massage such as relaxation massage or physical therapy massage only aim to improve health and relax when the body is healthy, but do not have the effect of detoxifying alcohol or treating alcohol poisoning.

According to doctors, drunkenness is a condition that occurs when the amount of alcohol consumed exceeds the liver’s ability to metabolize. The main causes of hangovers include dehydration; inflammation; poor quality sleep. These harmful effects lead to common symptoms such as nausea and vomiting; headache, dizziness; worry, restlessness; muscle aches and overall feeling of fatigue.

Acupressure massage is used as a supportive method, helping to stimulate acupuncture points, clear meridians, regulate blood, and improve the circulation of blood in the body; Reduces headaches and body aches through impact on important acupuncture points; Relaxes the nerves, reduces feelings of anxiety and discomfort.

Massage can help increase blood circulation, but this effect does not directly reduce acetaldehyde levels or speed up the hangover process. The liver remains the main organ performing this task. However, massage can help relieve some of the unpleasant symptoms of hangovers, such as headaches and muscle aches, by relaxing muscles and reducing stress.

“Massage and acupressure can be used to alleviate unpleasant symptoms after drinking alcohol. The most effective alcohol detox method is still giving the liver time to process ethanol and avoiding drinking too much alcohol,” Dr. Huu emphasized.

The doctor noted that massage should only be performed on the head and sore muscle areas. Each massage session should not last more than 20 minutes for each area. You should use gentle warming methods such as warm compresses or mugwort steam baths to relax your muscles. Avoid using other strong tricks.

Absolutely do not perform acupressure on open wounds, bruises or any swollen skin areas. Pressure when massaging must be gentle, especially in thin and sensitive skin areas such as the face. Any pain during the massage is a sign to stop and readjust your technique. Acupressure massage should not cause pain.

If signs of severe alcohol poisoning appear such as severe dehydration, drowsiness, or unstable vital signs (e.g. pulse, blood pressure, breathing rate), the patient should be taken to a medical facility immediately. Absolutely do not arbitrarily massage acupressure points in these cases.

Acupressure massage, if done properly, can assist in reducing some symptoms after drinking alcohol. However, this is not the main hangover treatment method and should only be applied to mild cases. Severe cases require priority medical intervention.

To ensure safety and effectiveness, acupressure massage should be performed at reputable medical facilities to avoid unfortunate consequences.