Therapeutic Massage May Relieve Your Chronic Aches and Pains
Is the repetitive sport you’re playing or the job you’re performing causing you to experience sore muscles? There is a good chance you may benefit from therapeutic massage!
Therapeutic massage is a commonly used treatment that helps in loosening up any tight areas in your joints and tissues and making a recovery quicker and easier. So you can get back on track to accomplishing your end goal, whether it be to improve your sports performance or increase your productivity at work.
Contact Southern Physical Therapy Clinic today to figure out how therapeutic massage can help you!
How can athletes benefit from therapeutic massage?
If you are an athlete, you know firsthand the amount of effort that it takes to be good at your sport. You have to do tons of training and the planning is seemingly never-ending, whether you're practicing for a marathon, contest, recital, or big game.
You must train your muscles and tissues to do their best, which can cause discomfort and pain over time. This is a little adjustment, but it doesn't change the fact that it may temporarily get in the way of your training process.
This is where massage therapy comes in – it allows muscle loosening to relieve discomfort and improve the freedom of movement. This helps restructure the body so the performance can be improved and you can get back into the game!
The importance of soft tissues
Your soft tissues provide you with the ability to do many things; however, they also limit you from pushing yourself too far - even if that’s your intention.
Soft tissues help in mobilizing your joints and give your body the strength it needs to perform tasks.
Your muscles are made up of many small, thin fibers that contract on command, working together to mobilize your muscle groups.
These muscles are attached to your bones by connective tissues, called tendons, enabling them to move your body parts.
Your bones are then connected by tough bands of connective tissue, called ligaments, for added stability. Your ligaments are covered by yet another connective tissue called fascia. All of these connective tissues can be referred to as “soft tissues.”
These soft tissues can be damaged by certain stresses, especially those caused by repeated actions within the athletic activity.
A tear in the tendon causes you to experience a significant amount of swelling and inflammation. Many athletes also experience sprains, which are caused by a ligament stretching farther than intended.
These injuries may occur in response to the intensity of your sport, but they can also occur if muscles are too tight before you begin one of your workouts.
Therapeutic massage can help with this, as it relaxes the muscles, and may even prevent some of these injuries from occurring in the first place!
What types of therapeutic massage are there?
Sports massage therapy can be used before you even begin your rigorous exercise regimen, targeting the specific muscles and tissues that see the most use for your sport.
There are many different types of massage as well, and our physical therapist may also recommend these to complement your physical therapy treatments, including:
Deep tissue massage.
This type of massage loosens up your muscles and their connective tissues.
Swedish massage.
This type of massage relaxes any stiff or tense muscles you may have, allowing for increased blood flow and fluid drainage from swollen areas.
Myofascial release.
This type of massage creates room for tissues that may be trapped by distortions or fascial adhesions, freeing them from constriction.
By working to mobilize, loosen, and relax these muscles before you train, you can help them stay limber throughout the process. This will decrease your risk of strains, sprains, and ruptures.
Call our clinic to schedule an appointment today
It is important to help optimize the health and function of your soft tissues because they work hard to make sure your body is functioning correctly!
If you are in Picayune & Wiggins looking for therapeutic massage services, request an appointment at Southern Physical Therapy Clinic.
Our physical therapists are happy to discuss our therapeutic massage methods with you and how they will benefit your physical performance. Your sport is important to you - we want to help get you back in the game!
