 Whether your injury is a result of physical activity or an accident, they can prove to be a major life disruption. While there are many ways to combat the effects of an injury, massage can be a vital tool in reducing pain and promoting healing. Take a look at why a massage therapist might be just what you need. When Can Massage Help with Injury?Different types of massage can prove useful post-injury and during recovery. If you find yourself suffering from muscular pain and tightness, it likely means that there is scarred tissue that’s creating discomfort and reducing your range of motion. Depending on the nature of the injury and where you are in recovery, therapists can utilize anything from Swedish massage to deep tissue massage to help. Using the appropriate massage techniques can not only make your injury more bearable but can actually accelerate the healing process. What Effect Does Massage Have on Injured Muscles?When muscle tissue is damaged, it can create many acute tears throughout leading to constant pain and irritation. As your body repairs the tissue, it can leave behind scarring and create abnormal tightness as well myofascial trigger points which reduce your range of motion and can even create referral pain in other areas of your body. This tightness not only makes you uncomfortable, but actually slows down the natural healing process. Massage therapy is therefore used to heat up and stretch the muscle fibers back to their original state. The constant pressure from massage increases the circulation of blood to the area which loosens the tissue and encourages healing. Your massage therapist will also be able to identify scar tissue and trigger points. They’ll use specialized techniques to break these areas up and redistribute the natural collagen fibers throughout the area. How Does Massage Speed Up Recovery?Your body is miraculously able to address any injury by sending nutrients and cells to repair the damaged area. However, if the muscles are extremely tight and full of knots, they’re not going to be very receptive to blood flow. The same thing can happen when your body builds up lactic acid after strenuous activity. Massage actively heats up these connective tissues which makes your muscles more responsive to changes in motion. It makes the muscle more flexible, elastic, and responsive to increased blood flow. This improved circulation allows your body to pour in more of the nutrients that assist with healing and flush out waste products and fluids. If your injury is severe enough, one massage session may not be enough to permanently break up and relieve the damaged tissue. However, regular sessions as prescribed by your therapist will accelerate the healing until you’ve reached complete recovery. Massage Therapy for Injury - In-Home Therapeutic MassageIf you’ve recently suffered an injury from exercise or from an accident, get relief from In-Home Therapeutic Massage. Even if your injury occurred some time ago and you’re still suffering from chronic pain, our massage therapists can bring treatment right to your door.
There’s no sense living in pain if you don’t have to, especially when a few sessions of massage therapy may be just enough to relieve your discomfort for good. Before you purchase our services, we offer a free assessment to determine the nature of your issues and what you’ll need to recover. To schedule one of our services, please book online with us today!
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As adults get older, it can be easy to see how aging can affect functional movement. Why do these changes happen? Can we do anything to halt or prevent these effects? Below, we’ll look into the effects of age and what we can do to improve muscle activity and motor performance.  What Happens to the Body As it Ages?Various studies indicate that adults showed a noticeable decline in muscle strength as they grew older. This process begins usually in your 30’s and becomes most pronounced at age 50 and older. This decrease occurs due to natural muscle atrophy which can be faster or slower depending on your genetic history. Muscle fibers shrink, and the body is unable to create new muscle tissue quickly enough to compensate. These same studies showed that elderly subjects lost lean mass as well as mineral bone density. This often results in developing bone spurs, rigid joints, cartilage loss, spinal cord curvature, and tough fibrous tissue in place of lost muscle mass. There are also natural changes to nervous system function which can affect your senses and movements. How Do These Effects Affect Functional Movement?Many of these effects compound into greater issues, including disease, which affects your ability to perform basic physical activity. Lack of functional movement and stiff joints leads to muscle inflammation, pain, and stiffness which makes it more difficult, if not impossible to move your muscles in certain ways. Lack of circulation can lead to fatigue, reduced strength, and loss of endurance. In addition to muscular issues, the risk for bone fractures increases with age. The loss of bone density can affect balance, posture, and reflexes. The result is that elderly individuals can struggle to perform basic functional movements, and worse yet, are at high risk for further injury. How Can Aging People Maintain Functional Movement?The positive side of this information is that there are proven ways to maintain healthy muscles and functional movement as you grow older. The two most powerful ways to remain a healthy, older individual is through diet and exercise. Studies indicate that eating muscle building foods that are rich in protein when combined with regular strength training can slow, halt, or even reverse muscle loss. Making the active effort to work the muscles and utilize your full range of motion can allow you to maintain them over time. Massage therapy can also prove tremendously beneficial for aging individuals and seniors. This is because many of the benefits of massage come with the same effects offered by regular activity. Massage actively increases blood flow throughout the entire body and can break apart hardened tissues responsible for restraining functional movement. It also offers valuable stimulation to the nervous system which can reduce stress, tension, and encourage the production of feel-good hormones. This muscle engagement will also promote balance and flexibility. Your massage therapist can manipulate your body in ways that relax areas of tension, and get the muscles accustomed to motions used in daily activities. Massage Therapy for Aging Adults - In-Home Therapeutic MassageIt can be challenging to make the time for much needed massage therapy. It can be particularly difficult for seniors who face the mobility challenges we’ve discussed.
In-Home Therapeutic Massage wants to bring the benefits of massage therapy to you, wherever you are. Sore, stiff muscles and joints don’t have to be a guarantee as you get older. With regular therapy to promote functional movement. With our services, you can get relief from pain, and enjoy tried-and-true techniques that will leave you feeling energized and ready to move. To get started on your journey to a healthier body, book an appointment online with us today! For additional questions about our services, contact us at 763-290-1563.  They can be measured from 0-10, measured by descriptions, barely noticeable to debilitating; be joint or structure-related, muscle, fascia or hormonal in origin. We hope this article will be both entertaining and informative in understanding your body, promoting your health and physical wellbeing. Pain is our body’s way of getting our attention. It’s a necessary sensation that helps us survive. At some time or another, we all have experienced some form of a headache and from our knowledge base attempted to stop it. Pain unchecked, may increase, and become chronic in nature. Debilitating pain costs our economy enormous sums of money paid out in compensation and lost productivity. Let’s touch on head pain as it relates to two small usually overused and overlooked joints. Headaches of this type… Good luck if you take it to a strip mall spa! The Temporomandibular JointsThese fragile joints are located on each side of the head just in front of the ear. They are used for things like eating, drinking, talking, laughing, yawning and sneezing too. Rarely do we consider them and what they do until we feel a deep, sudden, stabbing pain just in front of one or both ears. This pain can keep us from taking food, affect our ability to work and personal relationships too. If not addressed, it can become chronic in nature. Chronic pain can cause hypertension, feelings of helplessness and despair, depression, mood swings, and loss of sleep to mention a few. Though small, these joints and respective tissues need to be taken care of. Each temporomandibular joint is like a small hinge, covered with a joint capsule, stabilized internally with ligaments and containing shock-absorbing material. These joints are acted upon by external forces. For eating, these joints are moved by muscles that open, close, protract, retract and laterally move the jaw in relation to the skull. To open the jaw, we have muscled primarily on the front, reaching down from the mandible to hyoid bone. At this point, we have muscles that reach up from specific points on the breast bone, collar bones, shoulder blades and thyroid cartilage that terminate on the hyoid bone. Collectively these muscles are needed for opening the jaw and for stabilizing the hyoid bone with swallowing. Lastly, we have a large sheet of muscle that arises from the tissues about the collar bones and ends on the jaw. This muscle helps open the jaw too, and helps create the facial expression of sadness. Equally important are the muscles that close the jaw. These muscles oppose those that open the mouth, but there must be a balance between the two groups. If there is muscular imbalance the stronger tissues will overpower the weaker. Subsequently, the overpowered tissues will become over-stretched, weakened, inhibited and develop myofascial trigger points and become hypersensitive. The muscles that close, protract, retract and laterally move the mandible in reaction to the skull originate from the skull. These muscles work across the temporomandibular joint from a variety of angles. Balance is the key. Trauma to the head, mandible, neck and shoulders can impact these fragile hinge joints. In the case of a real impact auto accident, you have an initial hyperextension of the neck and head. Then, like a loaded, compressed spring the neck with the head on top snaps like a whip into hyper-flexion. The muscles that move the neck and head are now affected as are the structures that limit joint integrity and movement. TMJ involvement is almost guaranteed at this time. In the case of TMJ and this type of accident, we have to consider and treat the whole picture including the soft tissues responsible for mastication and deglutition. This skilled approach will include work inside of the mouth, the head and face, neck, shoulders, chest and upper back. An auto accident will jostle the whole body and we need to focus on primary client complaints to maximize treatment times. How Do You Protect the TMJs?When driving, wear a boxer’s mouth guard and keep the mouth clenched tightly shut - NICE!
The body will naturally want to protect all traumatized tisues by laying down protective muscle shortening. This protective stabilization in itself is painful. Now we have excessive muscle tone in the muscles that move the TMJs. TMJs are now compressed and interjoint structures are set up for abnormal wear and tear. MORE PAIN! Let’s address this excessive muscle tone and protective muscle shortening before it’s too late. Excessive muscle tone in one area will impact and refer pain to other areas of the body. Understanding body structure, muscles and what they do, myotomes and dermatomes knowledge is helpful too! Each client deserves the best care, each case must be understood so specific techniques can be used to address hypertonic tissues, capsular and ligamentous involvement and scar tissue formation. We want to complement the body’s healing process and keep pain and dysfunction from becoming chronic and possibly debilitating. Massage has its position in the health and wellness paradigm. It cannot be stressed enough. If you are involved in an accident, experience a sudden onset of pain for no apparent reason, unexplained weakness, tingling, numbness, burning and throbbing pain/sensations, go to the ER and get examined. This is a good safety measure for all parties involved. From this point, a therapeutic baseline can be established. Whatever your situation or injury, we are In-Home Therapeutic Massage are here to help you. Give us a call or schedule a visit, we love to hear from you! Neuromuscular massage and trigger point therapy are forms of massage that address chronic pain and restricted mobility. But do you know what they are and how they work? In-Home Therapeutic Massage can explain how these types of massage therapy work and how they can serve to benefit your body.  What is Neuromuscular Massage and Trigger Point Therapy?A trigger point is what massage therapists call tight muscular areas that trigger referral pain in other body parts. This referred pain can often cause pain and dysfunction that proves more problematic than the trigger area itself. An unaddressed trigger point can create pain that reverberates through soft tissues and into the joints, the neck, and even cause headaches. This tightness can also restrict blood flow and movement, often leaving the area feeling worse. Trigger Point Therapy refers to any type of deep tissue massage that promotes healing in these areas and offers pain relief. A combination of pressure from the massage and coordinated breathing will help slowly release the tension in these areas and encourage circulation to the area. Neuromuscular MassageA neuromuscular therapist uses a form of manual therapy that directly addresses areas that are sore to touch and restrict range of motion. These types of conditions or injuries also send reverberating pain throughout the nervous system leaving you feeling miserable. Neuromuscular therapy massages can help in relieving pain associated with muscle spasms, poor circulation and numbness, or ongoing conditions such as carpal tunnel. If you have issues with your back, joints, chronic pain from a sports injury or accident, or restricted range of motion, you can benefit from a neuromuscular massage. What are the Benefits of Neuromuscular Massage and Trigger Point Therapy?These types of massage therapies are phenomenal at relieving chronic and debilitating pain caused by trigger points. It does this by forcing the muscles associated with the pain to relax and allow blood to circulate properly. It may even be uncomfortable at times as your massage therapist applies heavy pressure to reach deep into the affected muscles. You’ll be able to notice the benefits of massage after one session. However, continued therapy sessions can see a permanent reduction or total elimination of your pain. As the muscle begins to heal and receives better circulation, you’ll begin to see a better range of motion and improved posture. Because of your newly relaxed state, you’ll also receive the benefits of improved immune and digestive functions, and increased ability to flush and remove toxins from the body. Neuromuscular Massage and Trigger Point Therapy by In-Home Therapeutic MassageIn-Home Therapeutic Massage is a traveling massage therapy company that services every type of need. You shouldn’t have to live in pain and discomfort. We travel to your home, office, or wherever you are to take the stress out of planning appointments and travel. For assistance in relieving your stress and ailments, give us a call at (763)-290-1563 to schedule your visit today.
Do you know the differences between therapeutic massages vs relaxation massages? We’re going to go into the differences between the two types of massage and their respective health benefits. This will help to inform and choose what type of massage therapy is best for you.  Therapeutic vs Relaxation Massage - Which Do I Ask For?In order to choose what type of massage you need, you should explain your needs, reveal areas of chronic pain, and mention any notable injuries. What type of discomfort you’re experiencing directly addresses your choice between therapeutic and relaxation massage. Relaxation MassageA relaxation massage focuses on easing muscle tension and reducing stress. A Swedish massage, for example, uses smaller, rhythmic motions which improves circulation to the muscle and connective tissue throughout the body. As it improves blood flow, you’ll feel your body to let go of built-up tension and maybe even fall asleep. This type of massage session is great for dealing with everyday discomfort and provides an outlet that encourages much-needed relaxation. Therapeutic MassageWhile one could argue that all massage is therapeutic, this generally refers to massage therapy that targets specific problem areas. Its goal is to encourage healing and restore range of motion that stems from deep-seated issues. Regular massages can promote recovery from damage caused by myofascial trigger points (knots), scar tissue from injury or accident, or other underlying problems. This type of massage, typically prescribed with clinics as opposed to a regular spa treatment, will often include deep tissue massage. The process involves heightened amounts of pressure, which might use the hands or even elbows to reach deep into the muscle. This is often necessary and one of the only ways to alleviate severe pain caused by accidents, sports injuries, or chronic conditions like sciatica or carpal tunnel syndrome. What Are the Health Benefits?Massage therapy provides long-standing health benefits that affect your overall well-being. By encouraging reduced stress, relaxation massages improve blood flow, relieve cramps, lower anxiety, prevent injury, and reduce blood pressure. This relaxed, optimal state then also improves immune function, and heightens lymphatic and circulatory functions. Therapeutic massage provides much of the same as well as relief for chronic pain. Aside from pain medication, massage can often be the only way to alleviate ongoing conditions. However, the addition of deep tissue pressure and limb manipulation can actually help heal injuries faster. It also restores range of motion to the muscles and improves flexibility. Best of all, you’ll likely get the greatest night’s sleep you’ve had in some time after a quality massage. Therapeutic vs Relaxation Massage - Choose Either at In-Home Therapeutic MassageFor all of your massage therapy needs, call In-Home Therapeutic Massage. We are massage experts who specialize in providing mental and physical relief to those in need. Whether you need to blow off some steam and relax with a soft tissue relaxation massage or find injury relief with deep tissue massage, we can help.
To schedule your next massage therapy appointment, call us today at (763)-290-1563. We’ll come to you wherever you are! |
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