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 Adams Physical Therapy Services, Inc. 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 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 specific 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 a 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 your 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, contact our Portland or Winchester IN physical therapists now to get started with an expert physical therapist.
It’s great that you mentioned how adhesions from physical injuries not only restrict your movement but also cause serious pain that delays your recovery if not treated immediately. Recently, my brother got injured while doing sports so we’re looking into physical therapy programs that may be able to help with pain relief. I’ll have to look into where we can avail of effective medical massage services within our area.
A couple of weeks ago, my brother started training with a football team, but he got injured at a game last night and needs time to recover from it. I like that you explained how massage therapy could help athletes with their muscle pain, so I’ll be sure to call my brother and suggest it. Thank you for the information on massage therapy and its key role in an athlete’s performance.
It’s great to know that muscle relaxation is the best-known benefit of massage. I’m an ice skater, and I would like to start getting massages since I injured my knees at my recent competition. It would be nice to see a physiotherapist who has experience working with athletes.
Improved performance: Therapeutic massage can help increase flexibility, range of motion, and overall performance. By releasing tension and improving blood flow to the muscles, massage therapy can help athletes move more freely and perform at their best.
Faster recovery: Massage therapy can help speed up the recovery process after a strenuous workout or competition. By reducing muscle soreness and stiffness, massage therapy can help athletes bounce back faster and get back to training sooner.
Injury prevention: Regular therapeutic massage can help prevent injuries by improving flexibility and range of motion, reducing muscle tension, and promoting healthy blood flow. This can help athletes avoid common injuries, such as sprains, strains, and muscle tears.
Stress reduction: Athletes face a lot of stress, both physically and mentally. Therapeutic massage can help reduce stress and promote relaxation, which can improve overall well-being and performance.
Pain relief: Many athletes deal with chronic pain and discomfort due to their rigorous training schedules. Massage therapy can help relieve pain and discomfort by targeting specific areas of tension or pain, reducing inflammation, and promoting healing.