Why Exercise And Massage Remain The Core Of Physical Rehabilitation
When you become injured or undergo surgery, your first instinct might be to pursue physical therapy. While this is a smart move, it’s not the only recovery method you should choose. Learn how physical rehabilitation exercises and massage go hand in hand to help you transition back to everyday life after suffering from muscular atrophy or tight tendons and ligaments associated with surgery and physical injury.
Stretching and Strength Building Exercises
Physical therapy sessions at Spinal Healthcare are like super-focused workouts, but the goal isn’t to burn calories or lose weight; it’s to help you regain full use of your muscles.
Benefits of Exercise for Physical Rehabilitation
According to the American Physical Therapy Association, the benefits of physical therapy include:
- Improved mobility and motion so you can stay physically active
- Pain-free movement for a higher quality of life
- Full healing so you can resume your favorite hobbies and sports
- Chance to avoid surgery and prescription drugs in some cases
Types of Stretches and Exercises for Physical Rehabilitation
WebMD points out the most common types of stretches and exercises used in physical therapy. Your physical therapist at Spinal Healthcare may instruct you to perform some of these moves at home between physical therapy sessions to speed up the healing process:
- Low-impact aerobic training to get the heart beating and muscles warm
- Strengthening exercises targeting the affected areas of the body to rebuild atrophied muscle
- Pain relief exercises in targeted areas to increase strength and flexibility
- Gentle stretches once your muscles are warm to safely lengthen tight tendons and ligaments
Massage Therapy
To the untrained eye, massage may seem like nothing more than a way to temporarily relax after a long day. However, therapeutic massage sessions can be an incredibly powerful healing method when paired with exercising and stretching.
Benefits of Massage
The overall purpose of massage when used therapeutically is to help muscles relax and relieve tension throughout the body. It’s a more holistic approach to healing than simply exercising and stretching. The most profound health effects from massage are realized slowly, but even the next day, you’ll feel a vast improvement. Some of the benefits of massage according to Stretch Coach include:
- Improved circulation to maximize the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the muscles, helping the affected area rebuild itself faster after an injury
- Improved range of motion to help reduce the chance of future injuries
- Shortened recovery time when used in conjunction with exercises and stretching by releasing certain fluids necessary for muscle tissue repair, including nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur
Types of Massage
The type of massage you receive depends on your particular needs. According to Massage Envy, some of the most commonly recognized types of massage therapy for physical rehabilitation purposes include:
- Trigger point therapy, designed to release tight muscles that cause pain in other parts of the body
- Swedish massage, light to medium pressure that helps relieve stress, boost mood, reduce pain and promote relaxation
- Deep tissue massage to target knots and release chronic muscle tension
- Sports massage for athletes hoping to target a troublesome knee or shoulder
At Spinal Healthcare, we strive to help you recover from your injury or surgery as quickly and safely as possible. Our team is comprised of experienced chiropractors, massage therapists and physical therapists that can provide the best care possible for patients of all ages.
To learn more about our physical therapy and massage services and other rehabilitative treatments, please contact Spinal Healthcare & Physical Medicine or call us at (260) 493-6565. We offer free consultations so you can decide if we’re the right match for you before you begin treatment.
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My cousin plays basketball and he had an injury and he says that his back is in pain all the time. I like how you said that the overall purpose of massage, when used therapeutically, is to help muscles relax and relieve tension throughout the body. I will suggest him to visit a spine rehabilitation center so that he can feel better.
Reply →I have been planning to hire a physical therapist because I am experiencing a slight pain in my lower back. I never knew that physical therapy can help improve mobility and motion. Interestingly, some of the exercises that physical rehabilitation will offer are the strengthening exercises, in which the affected area will be targeted, therefore atrophied muscle will be rebuilt.
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