Sports Massage to Improve Your Well-Being
You don’t have to be a massage therapist to find a person in your life who so
urgently needs compassionate, expert care to treat their pain, improve their
physical vitality and basically uplift their well-being. Just take a good look
around. It can be a family member. A friend, a co-worker. It may even be the
person you face in the mirror every day.
With today’s always on, on-the-go, 24/7 connected lifestyles, daring to take
a break – and take care of yourself – can be seen as not just a luxury, but
even an offence. But what we need to understand is that setting time aside
for your health should not be optional. It’s a crucial requirement if you
want a productive, inspired and pain-free life.
Practising self-care isn’t just about going to the salon or spa twice a month
to escape for a couple of hours. Sincere, effective and truly healing self-care
entails a consistent and holistic effort. Two of the most trusted treatment
strategies today, acupuncture and sports massage, both adhere to this approach.
Acupuncture
An ancient healing technique, the efficacy and safety of acupuncture is well
documented by leading medical institutions in the world today.
The British Acupuncture Council has an extensive research database containing fact sheets on specific conditions, from acne to arrhythmia, to
urinary incontinence to vertigo and more, where acupuncture can be
beneficial.
The primary aim of acupuncture is to restore the balance of energy in your
body.
When you’re ill or in pain, it’s a sign that something is blocking the flow of
energy in your body. The needles are therefore used to unlock and open up those blockages and regain energy equilibrium. When balance is restored,
you can then achieve improved mental, physical, spiritual and emotional health.
One good news is that opting for acupuncture treatment has become a more
sustainable and affordable solution. Leading pain management facilities are
found in the most accessible locations and insurance companies recognise and
offer coverage for acupuncture treatments.
What makes acupuncture better than common solutions such as popping a pill or
undergoing surgery to cure pain is that it focuses on the person, not just on
the illness. When a qualified acupuncturist treats you, he or she is not only
treating the specific area of pain, but also assessing the condition, addressing
issues and caring for your entire body and overall health and well-being.
If the needles are giving you a bit of a fright, think about this: the possibility
of having a serious adverse event following acupuncture is so much less than
experiencing a serious adverse reaction to medical procedures that are more
familiar to the general public, a study published by the British Medical Journal has revealed.
As Prof. Charles Vincent of the University of London said, acupuncture in the hands of a competent practitioner is “less invasive, more natural, and
less liable to adverse effects than more orthodox forms of treatment.”
Sports Massage
Massage techniques have been utilised by health care practitioners for thousands of years to treat illnesses and prevent injury. It is commonly recommended for addressing musculoskeletal injuries and relieving stress, as well as to improve conditions related to pregnancy and cancer.
Physiotherapists have also adopted massage as an important treatment modality for athletes.
Sports-specific massage is highly popular among coaches and athletes since
being in top physical form is a constant goal. The body is regularly put through
strenuous activity and a wide range of physical challenges to in order to demonstrate optimal performance and skill on the playing field.
In general, massage therapy can offer the following physical benefits:
• Improved blood circulation and lymphatic flow
• Calmed or stimulated nerve endings
• Increased or decreased muscle tone and length
• Improved removal of metabolic waste
Delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) is another common concern for athletes.
Commonly occurring between 24 and 72 hours after unaccustomed eccentric exercise, it causes chronic pain and consequently reduces the athlete’s muscle function and ability to participate in physical activity. DOMS easily brings about soreness, prolonged loss of muscle strength, decreased range of motion, muscle stiffness, and increased resting metabolic rate — all of which can increase an athlete’s risk of injury. In one study, massage has been reported to reduce DOMS when administered two hours after the termination of eccentric exercise.
Sports massage has also been found to provide psychological benefits to highly active athletes.
In a study of eight amateur boxers who completed a performance on a boxing ergometer, received either a massage or passive rest intervention, and then
delivered a second performance, massage intervention was revealed to have produced significantly increased perceptions of recovery compared to passive rest.
Physically and mentally primed to perform
Today’s athlete has much to gain from working with a trusted therapist who can
administer quality sports massage in London. Under a pre- and post-event remedial program, you are assured that issues like muscle tightness and strain, muscular abnormalities, trigger points, and shoulder, neck and back pain will be effectively addressed with the help of massage techniques that are not only geared toward curing muscular ailments, but are intended to prevent injury in healthy athletes as well.
Self-care for continued good health
For busy, high-functioning individuals like you, pain and illness need not be constantly present in your life. Glorifying the ability to multitask, refusing opportunities to cut back on rest and relaxation, and putting other concerns ahead of your health and well-being are practices that must be left behind. To truly enjoy productive, meaningful days that reward you with physical, psychological and emotional vitality, prioritising preventative self-care is key.
The healing hands of experienced therapists are easily within reach. Sessions of energy-balancing acupuncture or strengthening and restorative sports massage can maintain your body’s full function, vigour and harmony. Discover wellness, and discover a higher quality of life.
Schreibe einen Kommentar