Not only is massage therapy one of the best injury rehabilitation techniques, but it also plays a key role in injury prevention – keeping you in the game and on the field.
In this article, we’re talking about why massage therapy should be a priority for both injury rehabilitation and prevention.
Why massage therapy helps athletes prevent (and fix) injury
When it comes to sports and athletic activities, taking preventative measures is crucial in helping you stay in the game and avoid unnecessary injuries.
Massage therapy is used regularly by professional athletes – we have helped many ourselves, and we’re currently the official massage therapy provider of Austin FC.
Massage therapy, and Moench Method in particular, is one of the most effective forms of injury rehabilitation therapy for speeding up the healing process and preventing re-injury. Regular massage therapy treatments reduce the risk of soft-tissue injury, and they also reduce the recovery time, helping you maintain flexibility and optimal range of motion.
For the extracurricular athlete, regular massage therapy treatments help increase the body’s capacity to heal itself. Massage also helps increase blood flow for improved circulation, which brings cell nutrition and oxygen to those muscle cells to revitalize and renew. If you don’t allow your body to fully heal and recover before participating in your next exercise session or sports event, the odds of suffering an injury are increased.
Benefits of massage therapy
It’s clear that massage therapy is great for athletic performance and injury prevention measures – here are some additional reasons to consider what massage therapy can do for you.
Increased blood flow – massage works extremely well in terms of increasing circulation and blood flow. It’s your blood that provides the nutrients that assist in relieving pain and suffering, and so increasing blood flow can have noticeable results in preventing injuries in the future.
Reduced muscle tension and pain – when your muscles are sore, surrounding muscles to those that are sore will compensate by taking on a more active role. This can actually cause an injury as well, but providing relief to pained and fatigued muscles will increase their ability to stand on their own.
Increased range of motion and muscle flexibility – This results in increased power and performance, which helps you work efficiently and with proper intensity to facilitate the body’s muscle-building response.
Shorten recovery time – Waste products such as lactic and carbonic acid build up in muscles after exercise. Increased circulation to these muscles helps to eliminate toxic debris and shorten recovery time.
How Moench Method Bodywork’s massage therapy technique can benefit you
Ninety-seven percent of pain receptors in the body are in the soft tissue (or otherwise known as fascia). Many people are missing the fact that the soft tissue is pulling on your attachments which ultimately can cause injury or dysfunction.
Moench Method Bodywork’s massage therapy practice focuses entirely on lengthening the soft tissue. We eliminate pain and injury by eliminating the tightness or constraints on the soft tissue so that it stops pulling at the attachment, increases blood supply, and ultimately increases the body’s capacity to heal itself.
Another side of our therapist’s role is to educate our clients on how they can effectively take care of themselves at home! We encourage proper stretching, muscle releases, diet and hydration, sleep and standing postures, and anything else that may be a contributing factor to injury prevention.
Yes, we are massage therapists. But our method is different. We don’t burn candles, play music, or dim the lights. We use a combination of myofascial release, ischemic pressure, and deep tissue massage through targeted ranges of motion of the problem areas being treated. You can learn more about our massage therapy technique here.
If you’re looking to get yourself ready for the season or take care of an existing injury, book a session with us today at any of our three Austin area locations, or in New Braunfels. Have any questions? Give one of our licensed massage therapists a call at (512) 244-6241.