Therapeutic Massage Can Improve Your Physical Function and Mobility

If you’re an athlete, you’re well aware of the commitment required. It’s no secret that substantial training is required whether preparing for a major game, competition, concert, or marathon. As a result, you’re likely to hit a hurdle along the route owing to sore or stiff muscles.

Thankfully, therapeutic massage can assist. Massage therapy relieves discomfort and loosens tight areas, allowing you to recuperate faster and get back into the game.

Do you want to learn more about how therapeutic massage can improve your performance? GoodLife Physical Therapy can help you get on the right track. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

How do soft tissues work?

Your soft tissues work to make sure your body is functioning the way that it should. Because of this, it is important to make sure that your soft tissues are as strong and healthy as possible at all times.

Muscles are made up of many small, thin fibers that contract on command, working together to mobilize your muscle groups. These muscles are attached to your bones by connective tissues called tendons, enabling them to move your body parts.

Our bones are then connected by tougher bands of connective tissue called ligaments, for added stability. Your ligaments are covered by yet another connective tissue called fascia. All of these connective tissues can be referred to as “soft tissues.”

Soft tissues help in mobilizing your joints and giving your body the strength it needs to perform tasks. Your soft tissues provide you with the ability to do many things but they can aso limit you from pushing yourself too far – even if that’s your intention! These can be damaged by certain stresses, especially those caused by repeated actions within the athletic activity.

For example, “tennis elbow” or “golfer’s elbow” are both colloquial terms used to describe tears in the tendons of the elbow. They got their name from the repeated swinging action that tennis players and golfer’s do, making it a common injury that they experience. A tear in the tendon such as this can lead to a significant amount of swelling and inflammation. Many athletes also experience sprains, which are caused by a ligament stretching farther than intended.

These may occur in response to the intensity of your sport, but they can also occur if muscles simply are too tight before you begin one of your workouts. Therapeutic massage can help with this, as it loosens up the muscles, and may even prevent some of these injuries from occurring.

How can therapeutic massage help athletic performance?

Therapeutic massage can benefit athletes both before and after training. There are different types of therapeutic massage that your physical therapist may recommend for your specific needs, including:

  • Swedish massage. This type of massage relaxes any stiff or tense muscles you may have, allowing for increased blood flow and fluid drainage from swollen areas.
  • Myofascial release. This type of massage creates room for tissues that may be trapped by distortions or fascial adhesions, freeing them from constriction.
  • Deep tissue massage. This type of massage loosens up your muscles and their connective tissues.

One of the numerous advantages of therapeutic massage is that it speeds up the natural healing process of your tissues, allowing you to return to your sport sooner. It works to relax, loosen, and mobilize any trouble spots so you can go back to normal as soon as possible. This also reduces your chances of suffering an injury that would keep you out of the game for a long time.

Enhance your physical performance through therapeutic massage today!

Did you sustain an injury that you need fast relief from? Are you tired of dealing with random aches and pains that plague you day and night? Do you want to improve the health of your soft tissues? Are you looking to improve your performance?

If so, contact us as soon as possible to get started on one of our therapeutic massage treatment plans. We can get you back to the sport you love in no time!

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9 Ways Stretching Can Improve Your Health and Wellness

Is stretching part of your daily life? If not, it should be. Stretching is a great way to start your day and it comes with a wide range of benefits. Don’t know where to start? Don’t fret! Our licensed physical therapists can help you create a stretching plan that will work best for you. To find out more about how daily stretches and improve your quality of life, contact GoodLife Physical Therapy office today!

The top 9 benefits of incorporating stretching into your daily life include:

1. Improved Energy.

This is the best reason to get in a good stretch first thing in the morning. A few good stretches, conducted properly with deep breathing, can give you the burst of energy you need to start off your day. If you begin to feel sluggish at work during the day, take a quick “stretch break” to boost your energy level.

2. Increased Stamina.

A good, long stretching session after a heavy workout can actually improve the stamina of your muscles. When you stretch, it increases the blood flow to those sore muscles and relieves fatigue. Stretching keeps oxygen flowing to your muscles, which delays the onset of muscle fatigue. As a result, this helps your muscles to “hang in there” for a longer period of time before fatigue sets in!

3. Improved Flexibility.

A common goal in physical therapy is to improve your flexibility and range of motion. Better flexibility carries a host of benefits. It improves your physical performance and reduces the chances of injury. Additionally, when you become more flexible, your body requires less energy to carry out everyday actions.

4. Better Blood Circulation.

One of the main goals of a stretching regimen is to get your blood flowing to the extremities. Blood carries oxygen to your cells and makes you healthier overall. This promotes cell growth and helps your organs function properly. Stretching also lowers your heart rate, which reduces strain on your heart and causes your blood pressure to become more consistent. Additionally, better blood circulation from stretching can also reduce post-workout soreness.

5. Improved Posture.

Stretching every day can help posture by lengthening certain muscles that have a tendency to tighten up when we sit in a chair for work all day. Focusing on your lower back, chest, and shoulders will aid in keeping your spine properly aligned. Stretching also relieves aches and pains, which can cause you to want to slouch.

6. Decreased Muscle Soreness.

Give your muscles plenty of time to relax and loosen up with a good stretch before and after a workout. As mentioned, stretching improves blood flow to the muscles. This carries oxygen and plenty of necessary nutrients to the muscles, which in turn reduces soreness after your workout.

7. Improved Cholesterol.

Stretching sessions can help to reduce cholesterol in your body, as long as you’re also following a heart-healthy diet. This can help you avoid heart disease. Stretching has even been shown to reverse the effects of hardening arteries due to cholesterol.

8. Decreased Risk of Injury.

If you work in an office, you may think there’s no risk of getting injured. However, there is not entirely true – what about when you have to bend over, pick up, and carry a 20-pound box of office supplies? This could easily lead to a pulled or strained muscle, resulting in several weeks of pain and physical therapy to recover. Stretching regularly will greatly decrease the risk of an incident such as this occurring.

9. Decreased Stress.

We all carry stress in our bodies. Too much stress can cause your muscles to contract, which can make you feel tense and on-edge. Stretching releases natural endorphins, which will help you relax, boost your mood, and reduce the amount of stress in your body.

Schedule your consultation!

Do you want to add all these benefits to your daily life? You can easily get started by scheduling your consultation with GoodLife Physical Therapy today! One of our physical therapists will discuss the best plan for incorporating daily stretches as a way to improve your overall health and wellness. Your body will thank you!

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273886/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/basics/stretching-and-flexibility/hlv-20049447

5 Ways Stretching Can Improve Your Overall Health

Have you ever noticed just how good a nice stretch feels after a nap, when you first wake up in the morning, or after vigorous physical activity? That good feeling just scratches the surface of the many healthy benefits you can get from regular stretching. That’s why our physical therapist recommends specific types of exercises to complement other physical therapy modalities. Here are five ways you can improve your health, comfort, and function simply by stretching.

1. Stretches Increases Your Flexibility

Are you frustrated because you don’t seem to have the same range of motion that you once did? A variety of musculoskeletal challenges can reduce your flexibility, creating stiffness and making certain motions uncomfortable or even impossible. Stretching can gently coax the stiffness out of tight tissues. Depending on the cause and location of your stiffness, our physical therapist may prescribe exercises such as hamstring thigh hip, chest, shoulder, upper back, or bicep/tricep stretches to loosen you up and improve your mobility.

2. It Helps to Prevent Injuries

Athletic event, physical training, or demanding labor can leave you with a painful strain or sprain, especially if those tissues were “cold” when they were subjected their burdens. Gentle, careful stretching before a challenging activity can reduce your risk of acute injury. It immediately after your activity will also remove any muscle tension that may have accumulated during your strenuous activity.

3. Stretching Gives Your Blood Flow a Boost

Stretching doesn’t just relax your muscles; it also helps them receive the nourishment they need. That’s because when your muscles are tight and stiff, blood doesn’t flow through them as easily — and blood contains the oxygen and other nutrients necessary for optimal tissue health and performance. Stretching to ease that muscle tension gives your circulation a welcome boost. The same effect also helps your tissues rid themselves of unwanted, pain-causing substances such as lactic acid.

4. It Relieves Chronic Pain

Speaking of pain relief, you may be surprised and delighted to discover how just well stretching can work as a chronic pain management tool. For instance, certain exercises can undo the painful muscle knots associated with tension headaches or chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia. Stretching is also recommended to help control arthritis pain and stiffness. Our physical therapist can determine which kinds of stretches will best suit your needs.

5. Stretches Eases Stress

Emotional stress can often turn into physical stress in the form of muscle tension, sleep problems, and suppressed immune function. In other words, it can make you sick! Stretching exercises can help to release the accumulated tension in your body while also calming your mind. Stretches that include mindfulness work (such as yoga) can prove especially helpful for easing the stress that might otherwise impair your health.

Stretching as Part of a Physical Therapy Program

Since stretching exercises offer so many significant benefits, it’s not hard to see why we use them all the time in physical therapy. Our physical therapist can combine targeted stretches with strength-building exercises, massage therapy, ultrasound therapy, heat or cold therapy, and many other techniques to help you feel better and stay healthier. We can also make sure that you’re performing the right stretches and show you how to perform them safely.

Are you ready to stretch your way to a happier, healthier way of life? Contact our physical therapy center today to learn more and schedule an appointment. We’re not stretching the truth when we say that we can help!

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Do You Know the Importance of Stretching After Exercise?

Stretching After Exercise Can Improve Your Health and Decrease Your Risk of Injury!

Have you decided to skip stretching after exercise? After a good workout it may be tempting to just hit the couch and take it easy.

Your workout, however, isn’t quite finished. A proper cool down is necessary and this would include different types of stretching.

Some people think that stretching is an unnecessary part of exercising. The truth is that stretching is a necessary component of exercise.

Can some simple physical motions dramatically improve your overall health, wellness, and quality of life? In the case of stretching, the answer is most definitely yes. Stretching exercises are a staple of physical therapy for just that reason.

If you haven’t been stretching after a workout you may be experiencing problems with your muscles and joints.

You may not be aware of what the best stretches are after a workout. Call our office for information on how you can stretch correctly after exercise.

3 reasons why you should stretch after exercise

The following are three specific reasons why you shouldn’t skip stretching after exercising:

1. Reducing lactic acid – The body produces lactic acid whenever you exercise, which contributes to sore, achy muscles. Stretching can help reduce the accumulation of lactic acid throughout the body. It also relaxes tense muscles.

2. Improving heart function – Exercise gets your blood flowing which provides several important health benefits. It’s just as important, however, to get your heart rate back to a normal level after the workout is over. Stretching correctly will help your heart return to a normal rate in a healthy manner.

3. Avoiding muscle and joint strain – Stretching in the correct way can limit the strain on your muscles and joints. It will help your muscles stay flexible and toned. This will ultimately reduce the chance of injury after exercising.

What are the risks of not stretching?

After a workout you may not feel the need to stretch if your muscles aren’t aching or sore. You may just not want to take the time to do it.

But there are several potential effects of not taking the time to stretch correctly after exercise. You might experience stiffness if you’re not stretching adequately.

Muscles and tendons that aren’t stretched properly after exercise may be more susceptible to injury. If you already have an injury the Mayo Clinic advises adjusting your stretching routine.

It’s also important to not only make sure you’re stretching after exercise, but that you’re doing the right types of stretches.

How are stretching and physical therapy related?

Stretching typically involves the connective tissue, a muscle or a tendon. The goal of stretching is to improve range of motion, flexibility, and muscle elasticity. The five most common stretching exercises are:

  • Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)
  • Dynamic
  • Ballistic
  • Static
  • Low Load

A physical therapist can teach you different methods for stretching more effectively. Move Forward states that stretching is an important part of exercise recovery, yet it usually doesn’t get the attention or time it deserves.

A physical therapy program that is created to meet your unique needs can help you learn to stretch correctly after exercise. A trained physical therapist can teach you the best stretching techniques whether you’re a regular athlete or just getting in occasional exercise.

Stretching after exercising can help keep your muscles and joints in top condition. It’s important to find a qualified physical therapist that can teach you a variety of stretches.

If you’re struggling with muscle and joint pain caused from lack of stretching it can also help to visit a physical therapist. Stretches taught by a therapist can increase your flexibility, reduce injuries, and may even improve your athletic performance.

Physical therapy and improved health

Stretching provides numerous benefits to help your body keep itself healthier. One of the most important of these is stress relief. Everyday life throws lots of challenges at you, and the resulting stress can be held in your muscles.

This leads to tightness, spasms, and chronic discomforts such as headaches and neck pain. Stress also floods your body with “fight or flight” hormones such as cortisone and adrenaline. These imbalances can suppress your immune function, making you more vulnerable to viruses and other diseases. Hypertension is yet another dangerous consequence of chronic stress.

Regular stretches help your body release all that pent-up stress. By relaxing and loosening your muscles, you can maintain better control over your blood pressure, avoid chronic muscle pain, and keep your immune system ready for anything.

Contact us for more assistance

Contact us today for a free consultation to learn how we can help create the best stretching routine for your fitness level.

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