Whether you’re an elite athlete or simply someone who loves getting as much exercise as possible week in, week out, it’s essential that you listen to your body and give it what it needs, whether that’s rest and relaxation, a nice hot bath or going to see a sports therapist on a regular basis.
If you’ve never been for a deep tissue massage before, you’re really in for a bit of a treat. This involves manipulation of the soft tissues in your body, focusing on the muscles you use for your chosen sport, with all sorts of different techniques used to help bring relief to aches and pains.
These techniques include Swedish massage, kneading, stroking, friction, vibration, trigger points, gliding, compression and so on, with the aim being to help you decrease your chances of injury, drive quicker recovery after intense exercise and helping you achieve maximum performance.
You may well find after a few sessions that you see better flexibility and range of motion in your joints, as well as less muscle tension, fewer muscle spasms and a better overall sense of health and wellbeing. You may also find that you sleep better as a result, as well.
It’s important to understand the difference between sports therapy and physiotherapy as, although they do treat similar issues, it may be more beneficial to see the former if you’re worried about the prevention of sports-related injuries, as well as treatment for any problems you may be experiencing.
Knowing when to go for physical therapy is also key and it’s vital that you listen to your body and pay attention to any twinges you may be feeling. If you ignore such concerns and continue training or playing sport, you may find that you’re left with a serious injury that requires more serious intervention later down the line.
Common sports injuries to look out for include back problems such as ligament sprains and muscle strains. Overuse can be the cause, as well as improper stretching, so make sure you’re doing all you can to protect your body while training and exercising.
Naturally, the ankles and the feet can also suffer stress and strain, as they’re especially hard-working parts of the body, no matter what kind of exercise you do. And knee pain is a very common complaint and one that you really shouldn’t ignore, as twinges can become seriously problematic very quickly if not addressed early on.
Causes for knee pain include ligament injuries, arthritis, tendonitis, meniscal tears and so on, and you need to get down to what’s causing the problem quickly as you could find your ability to exercise or play sport in the future is affected if you don’t.
If you’d like any further help or advice, get in touch with the PSI Clinic today.