The Role of Massage Therapy in Sports Rehabilitation
It does not matter what sport or physical activity you enjoy or how fit you are; there may come a time when you suffer from an injury. When pain is involved, the injury can become both physically and mentally challenging and affect other aspects of your life. When recovering, it’s important to seek the help of trained physiotherapists and specialists in sports rehabilitation.
The main goal of injury rehab is to strengthen and restore flexibility to an injured body part. However, depending upon the severity of injury, recovery can be long and frustrating process. Incorporating massage therapy to rehabilitation treatment plays a crucial role in pain management and quicker recovery. It helps by:
1. Boosting Blood Circulation – Rehabilitation uses different methods to help the body heal itself naturally. Massage therapy can boost blood circulation, enhancing that healing ability. Blood helps distribute nutrients and hormones throughout a body. Massaging the muscles increases blood flow in the affected area to stimulate healing at a more rapid pace. By increasing circulation, massage shortens the rehabilitation period by as much as 25 percent.
2. Increasing Range of Motion – A person suffering from an injury often has limited range of motion due to pain and stiffness in the joint(s). No matter the severity, the injured person develops a greater amount of tension in the injured area. A person in pain may fear that stretching the muscles could worsen the condition. A therapist uses different massage techniques to relax and strengthen joints and muscles, allowing the injured person to regain range of motion.
3. Reduces Future Injuries – If you are an athlete, adding massage therapy into your rehabilitation program helps prevent future injuries. Since massage relaxes muscles and boosts the body’s circulatory system, it significantly decreases the likelihood of future impairment. This is why professional athletes frequently avail themselves of massage therapy before competition or practice.
Committing to a massage program helps accelerate recovery and shorten the injury rehabilitation period. If you have sustained an injury, our licensed and qualified massage therapists and physiotherapists can help assess your symptoms and design a rehabilitation and massage program that is right for your current needs. Please call Oriole Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Centre at (416) 221-0772 or send us an email to book an appointment. We are glad to provide you with expert recommendations for the type and technique of massage therapy for optimal results.