If you’re an athlete, you’re well aware of the commitment required. It’s no secret that substantial training is required whether preparing for a major game, competition, concert, or marathon. As a result, you’re likely to hit a hurdle along the route owing to sore or stiff muscles.
Thankfully, therapeutic massage can assist. Massage therapy relieves discomfort and loosens tight areas, allowing you to recuperate faster and get back into the game.
Are you interested in learning more about how therapeutic massage might help you perform better? Give Integrated Physical Therapy a call today to schedule an appointment with one of our therapists!
What purpose do our soft tissues serve?
Soft tissues are pretty complex parts of our bodies!
Many small, thin fibers make up your muscles, which contract on command and work together to activate your muscle groups. Tendons connect these muscles to your bones, allowing them to move your bodily parts. For added support, tougher bands of connective tissue called ligaments join your bones. Fascia is another connective tissue that covers your ligaments. The term “soft tissues” refers to all of these connective tissues.
Soft tissues aid in joint mobilization and provide your body with the strength it requires to complete tasks. Your soft tissues provide you the power to perform a lot of things, but they also prevent you from going too far – even if that’s your goal. Certain pressures, particularly those induced by repeated actions in athletic exercise, can harm them.
Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow, for example, are both colloquial words for tears in the tendons of the elbow. They earned their name from the repeated swinging action that tennis and golf players do in, making it a prevalent injury among them.
A tendon injury like this can result in a large amount of swelling and irritation. Many athletes also suffer from sprains, which occur when a ligament is stretched beyond its normal range.
These may occur in response to the intensity of your sport, but they can also occur if muscles simply are too tight before you begin one of your workouts. Therapeutic massage can help with this, as it loosens up the muscles, and may even prevent some of these injuries from occurring.
How therapeutic massage can benefit athletes
Therapeutic massage can benefit athletes both before and after training. There are different types of therapeutic massage that your physical therapist may recommend for your specific needs, including:
- 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.
- Deep tissue massage. This type of massage loosens up your muscles and their connective tissues.
- Myofascial release. This type of massage creates room for tissues that may be trapped by distortions or fascial adhesions, freeing them from constriction.
Your soft tissues are responsible for ensuring that your body functions properly. As a result, it’s critical to keep your soft tissues as strong and healthy as possible all of the time.
One of the numerous advantages of therapeutic massage is that it speeds up the natural healing process of your tissues, allowing you to return to your sport sooner. It works to relax, loosen, and mobilize any trouble spots so you can go back to normal as soon as possible. This also reduces your chances of suffering an injury that would keep you out of the game for a long time.
Your physical performance can improve more than you realize…
Do you want to improve the health of your soft tissues? Are you looking to improve your performance? If you’ve sustained an injury that you’ve been searching for relief from, know that help is available to you.
We want to see you thriving in your daily activities, including your sports. Give Integrated Physical Therapy a call as soon as possible to get started on one of our therapeutic massage treatment plans. We can get you back to the sport you love in no time at all!
