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How to Relieve Pain & Restore Movement with Massage

Repetitive strain injuries are what I see most in my practice. Clients come to me experiencing pain and due to poor posture and frequently used movements, also known as repetitive strain injuries (RSI’s). RSI’s can affect anyone from athletes to desk jockeys and can present itself as tendinitis, frozen shoulder, tennis or golfer’s elbow, plantar fasciitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome and temporal mandibular joint disorder (TMJ).

Chances are, if you have chronic muscle spasms in the upper back and neck, stiff and painful shoulders, or tingling in your arms or hands, you may have an RSI. If you experience pain, tightness, or weakness in these areas, and “push through the pain” ignoring what your body is trying to tell you, your risk the chance of causing serious injury and increasing your recovery time to boot.

Even if you are just beginning to notice tingling, numbness or weakness in these areas, it is essential to get treatment early and maintain treatment through self-care therapy.

How Massage Helps

The process of healing an RSI can take time and requires rest. However, massage can be especially helpful in speeding recovery. A skilled Massage Therapist is trained in bodywork techniques that manipulate the release of knots and painful trigger points in muscles and tendons. As a result, increased blood flow to the muscles and greater pliability to the damages tissue will help you heal faster while decreasing the pain RSI can cause.

Using adjunct therapies such as cold, moist heat, or the application of topical analgesics, your Massage Therapist can further help reduce swelling, release and stretch tight tissues and reintroduce you to your easy moving, pain-free self.

You can further maintain these results through self-care instructions that your therapist may give you at the end of your session. These may include ice therapy, Epsom salt soaks, the addition of specific stretches to your daily routine and a program of regular massage therapy sessions to help reverse the problem.

You don’t have to live with pain. There are ways to treat and maintain your wellness and keep you feeling young. Choose to listen to your body, and when the need should arise, treat it with the proper attention it deserves.

As Always - Enjoy Your Life!

John Aaron Villarreal


The Legal Stuff: The content and information on this site is not intended to diagnose,
cure, treat or prevent disease. Please consult your physician
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Comments

  1. TinaAugust 15, 2012 at 11:38 AM

    Thanks for the comment on my blog. I had thought about acupuncture but not massage therapy. I'm going to look into it. Let me know if you know any massage therapists in Altanta!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John Aaron VillarrealAugust 16, 2012 at 6:26 AM

      Unfortunately, I don't currently know any in Atlanta but try checking with your local gym, personal trainer/ running coach, or chiropractor first. Since they primarily deal with these types of issues - chances are they have someone skilled and experienced (very important). Try not to rely on the massage franchises (won't mention names) because they are all about volume of massages they can sell in a day and not necessarily about personal care.

      You want to trust that your therapist understands your needs and knows what they are doing... Best of luck to you! I look forward to reading more about your successes! :)

      Delete

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