As athletes go through their daily routine and training, wear and tear on the body can build up and affect performance. If not taken care of proactively, this can lead to great discomfort in the future and worst case scenario, take them out of commission for a long period of time. In addition to reducing stress and relaxation, massage therapy is a very effective modality for improving athletic performance, preventing injury, and reducing pain.
Often times, when an athlete gets injured or feels pain that hinders performance, it’s more than likely a muscular issue. Massage therapists are the most hands on practitioners and can get to the bottom of the issue and relieve some discomfort very quickly. Best case, we can help eliminate pain all together. We have learned and practiced techniques to quickly locate adhesions (knots) that may be limiting the athlete’s range of motion. This form of conservative care is a safe, fast, and cost effective way to relieve pain.
When a muscle is tight or experiencing stiffness, the muscle’s antagonists will adapt to new positioning, elongating when they are at rest, creating a compensation pattern that can affect other muscles and joints in the body. A massage therapist can loosen up these tight muscles by breaking down the layers of fascia (connective tissue) that have built up overtime. This will promote blood flow to the area, increasing nutrient availability, relaxing the muscle, and ultimately, aid recovery so the muscle can return to proper function and performance.
By adding massage therapy into your routine recovery, you will ensure faster recovery from training, increased flexibility, and more confidence in your ability to perform. Once the original discomfort has waned, you can return to a normal rate of activity.
If you haven’t utilized massage therapy as a means of recovery, I highly recommend experiencing the effects first hand.
