Serene City Hospital Center

Massage Away Your Sports-Related Pain

IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

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The body's ability to quickly rebound from injury decreases with age. While a stumble onto pavement may result in a scraped knee for a young person, that sort of fall in adulthood could have jarring effects, causing muscle and joint injuries. If you exercise often, your chances for a major injury are even greater. Massage therapists often employ a range of styles, including Swedish, deep tissue, pressure point, shiatsu, and sports massage. Proper care using massage before and after strenuous activity can speed recovery time, or even prevent injury in the first place.

The Benefits of Massage
Massage therapy dates back thousands of years. The practice fell out of favor throughout the early part of the 20th century, but found a rise in popularity in the 1970s, according to the National Institutes of Health (www.nih.gov). While many forms of massage exist, each uses the same basic yechnique, namely to manipulate the muscles and other soft tissues of the body.

Massage offers a variety of benefits. Near the top of the list is pain relief, whether from everyday living or a sports injury.

A sports injury creates a double impact on the body. Not only are you hurt, but you are also sidelined from your favorite activities until healed. By breaking down scar tissue, stretching muscles, improving circulation to the muscles, decreasing pain, and improving tissue elasticity, massage can speed recovery time. Massage may also help prevent strain injuries by warming muscles prior to intense physical activity.

In addition to the physical aspects, massage offers the benefit of relaxation, which can also aid recovery by helping you rest easier and by decreasing stress.

Is Massage Right for You?
Certain injuries cannot be treated with massage. Broken bones, open wounds, and tendon and muscle ruptures should be treated by a physician. However, the following injuries can be successfully treated with massage therapy when it's combined with regular medical intervention and treatment.

  • sprained ankle
  • jumper's knee
  • tennis elbow
  • low-back pain
  • muscle strains
You should always consult your physician before beginning any type of treatment.

Beyond Healing

In addition to treating sports injuries, massage therapy can also help with other specific conditions and general wellness.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (nccam.nih.gov), massage is used for treating pain (often from musculoskeletal conditions, but other pain as well), reducing stress, increasing relaxation, addressing anxiety and depression, and general well-being.

Depending on the style of massage, a session can last anywhere from 15 minutes for a chair massage to two hours. While massage for relaxation can be done periodically, chronic conditions generally require multiple treatments.

Which Is Right for You?
The National Institutes of Health recognizes more than 80 styles of massage therapy. Knowing which of these styles is appropriate for your purpose before making an appointment can help narrow down your search for the right licensed massage therapist.

Here are several popular forms of massage:

  • Swedish massage features long strokes, kneading, and friction on the muscles. Joints are manipulated to aid flexibility. This form is used for energizing and relaxation.

  • Deep tissue massage employs multiple stroke patterns and deep finger pressure where muscles are tight or knotted. This form focuses on layers of muscle deep under the skin and is commonly used for muscle injury.

  • Trigger point or pressure point massage features many styles of strokes, but uses focused pressure on trigger points or "knots" on the muscles. These knots are painful when pressed and can be sensed elsewhere in the body.

  • Shiatsu massage applies varying, rhythmic pressure to areas of the body believed vital to the flow of "qi," a term for energy in Oriental medicine.

  • Sports massage helps prevent injury, keeps the body flexible, and helps heal the body in instances of injury.

Source: www.nccam.nih.gov © 2013. True North Custom Media. All Rights Reserved.

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