An injury is something that happens to our bodies that affects how they perform; in sport or in the activities of daily life.
Causes can be complex and interlinked; they may include age, gender, strength, training load and how it is changing, amount of rest & recovery, mental health, stress levels & previous injuries.
Sometimes causes may be unclear, but cause does not necessarily reflect how an injury is treated.
What helps injuries heal include understanding your injury and the rehabilitation process, finding the right level of activity, dealing with setbacks, prioritising recovery and maintaining mental health.
Massage can play an important role by promoting tissue repair, reducing muscle tension and enabling relaxation.
What is an injury?
Something that happens to our bodies that affects how they perform; in sport or in activities of daily life
What causes injuries?
This can be complex, with many factors interacting & playing a part including age, gender, strength, training load and how it is changing, amount of rest & recovery, mental health, stress levels & previous injuries
What helps injuries heal?
- Having an understanding of your injury and the rehabilitation process
- Finding the right level of activity or load to strengthen tissue and return it to normal function, sometimes this can involve trial and error
- Knowing that setbacks or flare ups will happen and how to manage them, often by dialling back activity to a slightly lower level and then building up again
- Prioritising recovery, sleep and a healthy diet with sufficient calories and protein to fuel tissue repair
- Managing mental health: remaining connected to a community, having a support network, maintaining activity levels as far as possible
How does massage help injuries heal?
- Massage promotes tissue repair and encourages that repair to take the form of strong, mobile tissue, with low levels of scar tissue or adhesions, which can respond well to rehabilitation and a return to activity.
- Massage reduces muscle tension, restrictions and imbalances which can help restore normal muscle function - Massage enables relaxation which can facilitate recovery & healing.