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Therapeutic Massage Can Improve Your Physical Function and Mobility

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.

Do you want to learn more about how therapeutic massage can improve your performance?  Premier Therapy Center can help you get on the right track. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

How do soft tissues work?

Your soft tissues work to make sure your body is functioning the way that it should. Because of this, it is important to make sure that your soft tissues are as strong and healthy as possible at all times.

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.

Our bones are then connected by tougher 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.”

Soft tissues help in mobilizing your joints and giving your body the strength it needs to perform tasks. Your soft tissues provide you with the ability to do many things but they can aso limit you from pushing yourself too far – even if that’s your intention! These can be damaged by certain stresses, especially those caused by repeated actions within the athletic activity.

For example, “tennis elbow” or “golfer’s elbow” are both colloquial terms used to describe tears in the tendons of the elbow. They got their name from the repeated swinging action that tennis players and golfer’s do, making it a common sport injury that they experience. A tear in the tendon such as this can lead to a significant amount of swelling and inflammation. Many athletes also experience sprains, which are caused by a ligament stretching farther than intended.

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 can therapeutic massage help athletic performance?

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.
  • Myofascial release. This type of massage creates room for tissues that may be trapped by distortions or fascial adhesions, freeing them from constriction.
  • Deep tissue massage. This type of massage loosens up your muscles and their connective tissues.

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.

Enhance your physical performance through therapeutic massage today!

5 Benefits of Therapeutic Massage for Athletes

As an athlete, you already know that you’ve got to maintain optimal health if you want to keep playing the sport you love. Physical therapy with an experienced physical therapist is a big part of that, especially when you’re recovering from an injury. One of the main parts of a good physical therapy regimen after an injury involves therapeutic massage. Below, you’ll learn five of the best benefits of therapeutic massage for athletes. Call Premier Therapy Centers now to learn more about how massage can help you live pain-free.

1. Improved Circulation

Regular massage during your physical therapy program can improve circulation considerably. Better circulation means that your muscles get the blood supply needed to prevent stiffness and tension. Your muscles will work and feel better after therapeutic massage.

2. Improved Immune System

Sickness can be extra hard on athletes. Just one bad cold or flu can keep you out of the game you love for weeks — and you might feel less than your best for quite a while after that, too. Fortunately, massage helps boost your immune system’s natural defenses. During the massage, your body is prompted to power up its natural cytotoxic capacity, which basically means that you’ll be better able to fight off germs, bacteria and illness more effectively.

3. Less Scar Tissue

When you’re injured, your body forms adhesions — bands of tough scar tissue — around the injury. These adhesions can restrict your movement, cause serious pain, and can delay your recovery for a very long time if they’re not treated. Your physical therapy massage can deal with those adhesions very efficiently. Your physical therapist can use specifically targeted techniques that break up the adhesions, which unbinds your muscles. This is a very important component of your physical therapy program because being adhesion-free is important for both pain relief and for your range of motion.

4. Muscle Relaxation

While muscle relaxation is the best-known benefit of massage, it takes on whole new importance for an athlete. Muscle soreness, tightness, and pain are all things that you expect as an athlete — but the good news is that you can greatly 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.

5. Improved Posture

Massage, when coupled with other kinds of physical therapy, can do a lot of good for your posture. Massage helps bring your body into an optimal place of alignment, which can naturally improve your posture. Better posture has multiple benefits for athletes. When you’ve got good posture, your body can move at its peak, all the time — and this means that you’re playing your sport with a bit of a natural advantage built-in.   As an athlete, your body needs to be in the best condition at all times. This means that after an injury, you’ve got to recover with the help of a physical therapy program designed by an expert physical therapist. It also means that you need to recognize the importance of health maintenance. Something as simple as a therapeutic massage once or twice a month can help you feel you’re very best, and this means that you’ll be able to be at your peak for every game.   If you’re looking for noninvasive solutions for pain and injury or if you just want to be the best athlete you can be, call one of our two MI physical therapy teams now to get started with an expert physical therapist.