How Effective Is Deep Tissue Massage At Treating Sports Injuries?
When dealing with sports injuries, locked joints and muscle pains, booking a deep tissue massage is a potent way of helping to relieve not only the physical symptoms but also provides psychological relaxation benefits that can offset a fear of reinjury.
A deep tissue massage is not only relaxing, but helps to encourage the body to repair itself, leading to better long-term results, less tension in your muscles and tissue, and higher blood flow overall.
The powerful benefits of deep tissue massages are well known, but how effectively can they help to rehabilitate sports injuries, which often involve muscle strains, tears, stiffness and chronic pain?
The answer is that it is remarkably effective, both physically and psychologically.
How Does A Deep Tissue Massage Work?
Using slow, deep strokes and sustained pressure against a tense or injured part of the body, it breaks down scar tissue and boosts the circulation of blood around the body, which helps to reduce inflammation and swelling.
All of this encourages faster healing, increased mobility and more complete repairs, particularly for more complex conditions such as plantar fasciitis.
One study on chronic lower back pain compared its effects to over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen.
All of this can help an athlete who has suffered an injury to fully recover quickly in order to return to action as soon as possible, with the help of doctors and physiotherapists.
How Does A Deep Tissue Massage Help Psychologically?
The mental health benefits of a deep tissue massage come partially through the relaxing nature of massage more broadly, as well as the mental boost it can provide to avoid a fear of reinjury.
Most athletes who get an injury fully recover, but some are never quite the same afterwards, as they have that fear of reinjury or that it has not completely healed.
A deep tissue massage can help by relieving stiffness, promoting healing and encouraging proper recovery.