Massage: For Comfort and Healing

When most people think of massage, they think of an indulgent experience that you undergo when you want to relax. This is certainly not incorrect. Massages can be very relaxing, and they do make you feel pampered. But they can do a lot more than that. Massages can help heal sore and injured muscles, and they can alleviate stress, which helps fight a huge array of ailments, from insomnia to poor digestion. The more you learn about massage and its benefits, the more amazing it becomes. Start learning by reading some of the many massage-related articles here on our website.

Marathon Running Recovery Tips for Your Feet

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If you want to participate in a marathon and stay healthy, you'll need to find recovery strategies to help you avoid some of the most common running injuries. Here are some ideas you can build into your marathon training plan to help you survive your push to the race.

Runner's Knee

Runner's knee is a blanket term used to describe persistent knee pain from chronic overuse. Although massaging your knee directly isn't possible, a massage therapist can release critical muscle groups attached to your knee, which can drastically reduce your knee pain. Here are a few tips for avoiding runner's knee:

Release tension in your glutes: the strongest muscles in your body are located on your backside. Your gluteus maximus and minimus are responsible for both the extension and rotation of your hips. Although these muscle groups are important, they can be difficult to massage. Your massage therapist can teach you how to use a lacrosse ball or golf ball to release the various muscle groupings that can become immobilized from scar tissue. Additionally, your massage therapist can also teach you exercises to activate your muscles before and after you get your daily runs in.

ART: active release therapy (ART) used eccentric and concentric muscle contractions to increase the pliability and mobility of your muscles. To address runner's knee, a massage therapy service can help you tense and release your calves, hamstrings, and quads before and after your massage sessions. Additionally, your massage therapist can teach you how to use a stretching rope to help you perform ART between your visits. This self-sufficiency can be critically important for dealing with a chronic condition like runner's knee.

Plantar Fasciitis

One of the most common foot ailments suffered by marathoners is localized in your heel. A massage therapy service provider can help you develop a plan to manage plantar fasciitis. Here is one major technique to consider:

Myofascial release: everything in your lower leg is eventually anchored to your heel. If you imagine a suspension bridge, the cables supporting the bridge converge in one area, which is similar to the muscles and tendons in your lower body. Your massage therapist can break apart the lesions and scar tissue that can cause plantar fasciitis by using deep tissue trigger point techniques. From standing on a frozen golf ball to using a massage gun to blast away at the various connection points in your foot, your massage therapist can treat and teach you to manage plantar fasciitis.

Learn more about taking care of your feet by contacting massage therapy services. 

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24 February 2020