Massage for common injuries and conditions

Healing massage

Massage focuses on manipulating soft tissue, which includes muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin and fascia. Those who usually benefit from the most from this type of treatment are people who are regularly physically active. This could be anyone from frequent gym goers and casual runners to more experienced athletes.

Massage is not solely reserved for people in these groups, though. It’s easy to see how people who aren’t physically active or have sedentary jobs, such as sitting hunched over a keyboard at a desk, could be affected.

Massage therapy aims to reduce recovery time and speed up healing. Most benefit is gained with a programme of stretching, strengthening and conditioning in addition to massage. This will also make it less likely that conditions recur.

There are a number of common conditions that can be resolved or at least helped by therapeutic massage.

Runner’s Knee. Runner’s knee is a blanket term that refers to repetitive strain injuries of the knee. It often affects runners, or those that walk and hike a lot. The repetitive bending and stretching of the knee can lead to pain and it’s not uncommon for referred pain to emanate from the back or hips and be transmitted to the knee. Because the Ilio Tibial Band (ITB) is involved, treatment might be painful as it involves stretching and the manipulation of the muscles and fascia. Rest might be indicated where there is swelling of the knee, and strengthening exercises might also benefit the knee.

Plantar Fasciitis. This is a very painful foot condition that often affects people who are fit and active. Placing the foot flat on the floor can cause excruciating pain and the pain is usually worse first thing in the morning or after resting. The location of the pain will usually be the main pad of the heel, which will be sore to the touch. Deep tissue massage techniques are used to apply pressure to the Achilles heel, fascia and calf muscles. Slow strokes can help to release the tension in these areas and break up scar tissue. Massage will loosen the muscle tissues and kickstart the circulation of blood and oxygen to the affected areas, and break down any adhesions caused by strain and overexertion.

Shoulder Strain. Conditions such as Frozen Shoulder, Bursitis and Rotator Cuff injuries are helped by therapeutic massage. These conditions lead to a limited range of movement for the shoulder and even actions like brushing your hair can be painful and even impossible. Shoulder injuries are common in contact sports, or where repetitive overuse of the shoulder muscles is common, such as in tennis, golf or swimming - and drummers are also prone to these injuries! Medical attention is required, especially of there has been trauma to the shoulder and massage should not be used in the acute phase of shoulder injuries. Extreme care needs to be taken around the site of the injury and massage is often focused on loosening the muscles around the injury - including the hands, arms, neck and head.

Fybromyalgia. This is a debilitating and often challenging condition as the main symptoms are of chronic pain, fatigue and sleep disturbances, as well as ‘brain fog’ - producing difficulties in concentrating. Massage therapy has been shown to manage pain, improve sleep, and reduce anxiety and depression. Because touch can be painful, sessions sometimes need to be shorter and lighter strokes are needed first - depth is built as sessions progress. Because each person’s symptoms of fibromyalgia are quite unique, people will react differently to treatment, so there is no one way to treat fibromyalgia - a real partnership needs to be built between the client and the massage therapist.

Emotional Issues & PTSD. Physical and mental/emotional tension share a common source, as they are both held in the body. Emotional tension is often experienced as real physical pain - tension headaches for example are caused by tendons in the face, head, neck and shoulders. Relationship breakdowns, stressful work environments, unemployment, as well as extreme stress caused by being in an accident, combat situations, violent personal assaults and more, all cause tension in the body. People with anxiety, depression, panic disorders, PTSD and some other mental health issues can benefit greatly from therapeutic massage. Massage can teach the body how to relax again.

Of course, there are many other conditions that deep-tissue therapeutic massage can alleviate and heal. Working in conjunction with, or with the support of doctors, is an important part of a responsible healing journey.