If you’re an athlete, it comes as no surprise to you that it is important to maintain optimal health if you want to continue playing the game you love. Seeing a physical therapist is a huge factor in that, especially if you’ve received an injury and are in the recovery process. A good therapy routine after an injury involves targeted therapeutic massage.

According to the Mayo Clinic,“Massage is generally considered part of complementary and integrative medicine. It’s increasingly being offered along with standard treatment for a wide range of medical conditions and situations.” It makes sense that massage therapy is becoming so popular.

Here are five of the best benefits therapeutic massage can provide athletes. Contact Next Level Physio today to learn more about how our physical therapists massage techniques can keep you active in the sport you enjoy!

1. Stronger Immune System

Getting sick can take a serious toll on an athlete. Even one case of the cold or flu can keep you on the bench for weeks, not to mention you’ll probably be performing at less than 100% for a while afterwards. Physical therapy massage can help boost your immune system’s natural defenses. When you receive a massage, your body will begin to start up its “natural cytotoxic capacity.” This means you’ll be better prepared to fight off harmful bacteria, germs, and illnesses, which in turn ensures you’re out sick less often!

2. Improved Posture

Therapeutic massage helps to properly align your body. When coupled with other kinds of physical therapy, massage can seriously improve your posture. Better posture has multiple benefits for athletes, because when you have good posture, your body can move and perform at its optimum levels all the time. This means that you’ve got a bit of a natural advantage when playing your sport of choice (which might mean more wins for your team!)

3. Increased Circulation

Better circulation means that your muscles are getting enough blood supply to prevent stiffness and tension. Your muscles will work and feel better after therapeutic massage!

4. Massage Breaks Up Scar Tissue

Any time you receive an injury, your body will form adhesions — bands of tough scar tissue — around the injury. These adhesions will end up restricting your movement, result in some serious inflammation and pain, and can delay your recovery for a very long time if they go left untreated. Your physical therapist’s massage techniques can deal with those adhesions very efficiently.

A licensed therapist can use specific techniques that target and break up the adhesions. In turn, this will loosen and unbind your muscles. Massage is a very important part of your physical therapy program because being adhesion-free is important for relieving pain and restoring a proper range of motion.

5. Muscle Relaxation

Muscle soreness, tightness and pain are all things that you expect as an athlete. While muscle relaxation is the best-known benefit of massage, it takes on a whole new importance for an athletic person. The good news is that you can significantly decrease these issues with regular therapeutic massage. Even after you’ve completed a physical therapy program following an injury, you might benefit from regular massages with your physical therapist. Ongoing treatment can only benefit you in the long run, and keep your muscles from tightening up.

Taking care of your health

Dealing with an acute or chronic injury from sports can be exhausting and extremely debilitating in many cases. No matter what kind of injury you’ve sustained, our physical therapists can help you make a full recovery.

Your body needs to be in the best condition at all times if you’re an athlete. You want to be able to perform at a top notch level! This means that if you get hurt, it is critical that you consult with a physical therapist about a recovery plan.

It also means that you need to recognize the importance of health maintenance. Receiving a therapeutic massage once or twice a month is something that is really simple, but can ultimately help you feel your very best. The outcome is that you’ll be able to be at your peak for every game!

Contact our office today to learn more about massage therapy

If you’re looking for safe, effective, and non-invasive treatment solutions for pain and sports injuries, or if you just want to improve your sports performance levels, call our physical therapy team now to get started with an expert physical therapist. Your therapist will assess your condition, look at your medical history, pinpoint the source of your pain, and be able to create a totally customized treatment plan with massages and targeted stretches to help get you back on your feet and in the game. Contact Next Level Physio today to learn more!

Sources:

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/massage-therapy/about/pac-20384595

The post 5 Ways Therapeutic Massage Can Benefit Athletes appeared first on Next Level Physio.

The older you get, the more aches and pains are bound to become an issue in your life. A rough day at work, a long day outside with the family, an unexpected injury—anyone of these factors could contribute to aches and pains throughout the body that may seem to never really give you a break. The body has an increasingly difficult time coping with injuries as you age. Something that you may have easily bounced back from in the course of a day or two as a child or teenager may take weeks or even longer to overcome once you pass the age of 40.

So many people are tempted to turn to pain medication as a means of coping with the discomfort, but there are a lot of drawbacks to relying solely on medication to address your pain. To begin, medication does not actually provide a solution to the pain, it merely lessens the pain for a brief period of time. Furthermore, many forms of pain medication are highly addictive and have painful health consequences. This is why the best treatment for solving all of your aches and pains is physical therapy.

Physical Therapy for all the Aches and Pains

Physical therapy is a comprehensive treatment method that is specialized to address pain wherever it develops within the body. Working with a licensed and trained physical therapist means working with someone who can diagnose the cause of the pain, rather than merely address the symptomology. Physical therapists use a combination of stretching, massage, and chiropractic adjustment to target the source of the pain and ultimately reduce both the severity and frequency of the discomfort.

As you are working with your physical therapist to overcome chronic pain, there are also tactics that you can use at home for added relief.

These top pain-relief tips include:

• Hot & Cold Therapy: Using a hot compress or an ice pack, interchangeably, can help to alleviate pain as a result of fatigue and overuse. Taking warm or cold baths can also be helpful for this purpose. Different types of pain will benefit from different ratios of hot versus cold therapeutic support, and you should always consult with your physical therapist for specific guidelines.
• Acupuncture & Acupressure: While acupuncture is a type of therapy that you would need to see a professional in order to undergo treatment, acupressure can be done at home with simple supplies. Foam rollers with pressure points are a great example of at-home acupressure care.
• Yoga & Regular Stretching: As part of your physical therapy treatment you are going to be guided through basic stretches and exercises that can help to alleviate pain, and your physical therapist will provide you with guidelines regarding practicing those activities at home. Engaging in a regular yoga routine or spending time everyday stretching can help to alleviate tension and pain.

In addition to these helpful home-therapies, it cannot be understated how essential it is to provide your body with much-needed rest when you have experienced an injury. The best way to overcome pain is to provide your body with the time it needs to heal, and all therapies should be accompanied with plenty of rest and hydration. For support in overcoming your aches and pains, contact Next Level Physio to set up a consultation.

The post The Best Treatment Method for Solving all of Your Aches and Pains appeared first on Next Level Physio.