Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage Therapy for Injured Muscles
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Anyone who works out or plays a sport knows how easy it is to hurt or strain a muscle. Muscles injured while working out or competing in sports activities take time to heal, and deep tissue massage can be an effective component of the rehabilitation process for sport-related muscle injuries.
But what does this type of massage do, and how does it really help? Read on to get the full rundown on deep tissue therapy.
How Does Deep Tissue Massage Therapy Help Injured Muscles?
Deep tissue massage therapists may use their fingers, knuckles, or even their elbows to get deep enough to work the tensest areas of your deep muscles. This steady, hard pressure increases the circulation of blood in the affected area, which helps the area heal more quickly and effectively.
Our professional massage therapists can also target the specific injury type and location, allowing oxygen and essential healing nutrients to flow through muscle tissue while realigning deep layers of muscle and connective tissue. This type of massage follows a “no pain, no gain” mentality-- our massage therapists dig in deep to work the muscles, meaning you may experience some pain or soreness.
Are Deep Tissue Massages The Same as Sports Massages?
Sport and deep tissue massages are similar, but not interchangeable.
Sports massages take into account the biomechanics of the athlete’s sport or activities and dive deeper into the areas of the body that affect strength, flexibility, and range of motion for their particular needs, rather than overall muscle realignment and healing.
Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage
An athlete using deep tissue therapy to recover from an injury or chronic pain condition can also see other benefits to a deep tissue massage from a professional massage therapist, including:
Chronic pain
Upper or lower back pain
Mobility and flexibility problems
Osteoarthritis pain
Sciatica
Fibromyalgia
Muscle spasms
In addition to the general benefits of deep tissue therapy, these massages can increase circulation, relax tense and sore muscles, and rejuvenate your body to get back in the game.
What to Expect From a Deep Tissue Massage
Performed by an experienced, licensed massage therapist, a deep tissue massage for a sports-related injury may hurt. This pain doesn’t come from injury, however, but rather in releasing all the pent up tension in a deeper layer of muscle.
There may be some discomfort as the therapist increases the pressure to get to the deep muscles in the affected area. Keep the lines of communication open and let your therapist know if the pressure gets to be too much to handle.
It is recommended that you drink water after a deep tissue therapy session to help flush out toxins from your body that have been given easier passage through better circulation. Even after drinking a sufficient amount of water, patients often feel sore the next day or two after a deep tissue massage, especially the first in a series to work on a specific injury or condition.
Effective Deep Tissue Therapy Can Take Time
Injuries do not heal overnight, especially if the injury is a deep muscle strain that affects flexibility and range of motion capabilities. Athletes often get impatient and want a quick fix to get them back on the field or the court.
Effective deep tissue therapy from professional therapy specialists at Mantis Massage will take multiple sessions to work in the affected areas. Each case is different, and undoing knots and tension in injured parts of the body will take a comprehensive rehabilitation plan that integrates deep tissue therapy with other forms of exercise, and rest.
If your body needs help healing or you just want relief from sore muscles, give deep tissue therapy a try!
