Some Common Injuries Massage Therapy Can Help With
The time it takes to recover from an injury varies from person to person, and is often a stressful and frustrating time for the patient. Remedial massages aim to reduce recovery time in patients by working on injured tendons, muscles, joints, ligaments, joints, and skin, resulting in increased flexibility and blood flow to the injured area. As an added benefit, massage therapy promotes relaxation and reduces anxiety and stress, which also aids in the healing process. The following is just a sample of the many types of common injuries that can be treated using massage therapy:
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Back Injuries
Back injuries can occur from the pressure added to the spine and muscles simply from sitting too long, from poor posture, a motor vehicle accident, to name a few. Massage therapy assists in reducing back pain by targeting the specific area of the injury.
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Sports Injuries
Sports injuries are common among athletes and exercise enthusiasts and may involve ligaments, tendons, myofascial tissue, and muscles. Assisting those with these types of soft tissue injuries, massage therapists work on the specific areas affected by the injury, to lessen the pain and promote healing.
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Neck Injuries
Soft tissue strains of the neck are common, as simply sleeping wrong, twisting or turning it the wrong way, or sitting in one position for long periods: such as looking down at mobile phones or laptops can very easily cause neck pain. Using massage therapy to reduce the symptoms of pain and stiffness is often the first choice for those who suffer these types of neck pain. Not only do they help to reduce inflammation and pain, they are very relaxing as well.
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Sciatica
Sciatic pain is a result of the sciatic nerves in the lower back being pinched or irritated. Professional massage therapists work to loosen the involved muscles, which helps prevent further symptoms from occurring.
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Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
Self-explanatory in that repetitive movement may result in strains on soft tissues such as hands, arms, shoulders, neck, and back. Pain, numbness, tingling, or tightness is often the result. Therapists attempt to reduce or eliminate these types of pain using specialized techniques and by educating the patient about the importance of prevention, such as the use of ergonomic equipment.
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Rotator Cuff Injury
Injuries to the shoulder such as rotator cuff injury often results in surgery followed by physical therapy. Patients also benefit from massage therapy, which works to reduce scar tissue that forms as a result of the surgery itself. This reduces post-surgery pain levels and promotes faster healing of the shoulder.
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Tennis Elbow & Golfer's Elbow
Tennis elbow and golfers elbow are often diagnosed as a result of a strain in the elbow area, which is the result of bending the wrist backwards repetitively, resulting in tendon and muscle overuse. Massage therapy, used in tandem with physical therapy, assists in reducing swelling and inflammation of the affected area.