Sick of Living With Chronic Pain? Give Therapeutic Massage A Try.
Are you experiencing muscle soreness as a result of a repetitive sport or job? There’s a fair chance therapeutic massage will help you to find relief!
Therapeutic massage is often part of your physical therapy treatment plan in Ahwatukee, Biltmore and Tempe, AZ. It aids in the loosening of tight areas of your joints and muscles, as well as making healing faster and smoother – so you can get back on track to achieve your end goal, whether it’s to better your athletic success or job efficiency.
Contact Orthopedic Sports Therapy today to figure out how therapeutic massage can help you!
Why good tissue health is important
Many short, thin fibers make up your muscles, which contract on command and work 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.. Your ligaments are covered by yet another connective tissue called fascia. All of these connective tissues can be referred to as “soft tissues.”
Soft tissues are really fascinating! They aid in joint mobility and are part of the system that enables your body to execute activities.
Your soft tissues give you the opportunity to do a lot of things, but they can’t prevent you from overextending yourself. These soft tissues can be damaged by various stresses, especially those caused by the repeated actions such as 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, such as landing wrong from a jump on the basketball court.
These injuries may occur in response to the intensity of your sport, but they can also occur if muscles simply are too tight or weak 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!
Different kinds of therapeutic massage
There are many different types of massage as well, and our physical therapist may also utilize these as part of your physical therapy treatment, including:
- Deep tissue massage. This type of massage loosens up your muscles and their connective tissues, as your physical therapist applies considerable pressure to the tissue.
- Swedish massage. This type of moderate pressure 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 mobility for tissues that may be trapped by fascial adhesions, freeing them from constriction.
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.
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.
I’m an athlete, can I benefit from soft tissue massage?
Absolutely! Verywell Health’s site states “Sports massage can be used pre-performance, post-performance, during training, or for rehabilitation. From elite athletes to recreational exercisers, it is a popular choice.”
If you’re an athlete, you’re well aware of how much time it takes to excel in your sport. If you’re preparing for a race, a recital, or a big game, you’ll need a lot of preparation and a lot of planning.
You must train your muscles and tissues to do their best, which can cause discomfort and soreness 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 restore the body’s soft tissue so the performance can be improved and you can get back into the game!
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!
Our physical therapists in Ahwatukee, Biltmore and Tempe, AZ are happy to discuss the benefits of using therapeutic massage as part of your treatment plan. Your sport is important to you – we want to help get you back in the game!