Between a knot in your neck from a rough night’s rest to tension in your back from your workout classes, you may believe that the answers lie in over-the-counter pain medications and sheer hope it will subside.
However, what if we told you there was another way to ease muscle tension and provide you with much-needed mental relaxation – all without a visit to the drugstore?
Medical massage therapy offers an alternative form of healing and pain relief that targets medical conditions diagnosed by your pain management physician.
In this comprehensive guide, we will help you understand the inner workings of medical massage therapy and how it can aid in your recovery journey.
What is a Medical Massage?
A massage is more than just a way to treat yourself or a loved one on vacation or a birthday. Medical massage therapy is a form of interventional pain management designed to target medical conditions diagnosed by your physician.
Medical massage addresses health-related issues, including pain management, alleviating nerve compression, and lowering inflammation. Traditional massage, on the other hand, focuses primarily on promoting relaxation and stress reduction without expanding into medical areas for treatment.
Pain Conditions Medical Massage Can Help Treat
Medical massage therapy is widely regarded as an effective, safe, non-surgical option for patients who suffer from chronic pain and other pain-related conditions.
Some of the most common conditions that medical massage therapy can help treat include:
- Sciatica
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Headaches and migraines
- Pain, stiffness, and function from arthritis
- Sports-related injuries
- Pregnancy-related leg and back pain
- Herniated discs
- And more
What are the Benefits of a Medical Massage?
Massage treatments, specifically for those suffering from chronic pain or pain-related injuries or conditions, can become a crucial part of your pain management journey.
Benefits of undergoing medical massage therapy include:
- Helps reduce inflammation and pain
- Aids in digestion
- Calms the nervous system
- Improves posture
- Helps in preventing future chronic pain conditions
- Improves flexibility and range of motion
- Releases muscle tension and soreness
Experiencing pain, especially in the long term, not only has an effect on the body but on the mind as well. Chronic pain conditions can often be accompanied by bouts of depression and anxiety.
Types of Medical Massage Therapy
Your specific ailments and the treatment prescribed for your pain management in Charleston, SC will determine which type of medical massage is right for you. Below are some of the most common treatment options our licensed massage therapists offer.
Sports Massage
Sports massage may be prescribed if you have a repetitive use injury from playing a sport or are more prone to injuries. They are similar to deep-tissue massages but focus on the muscles that take a beating during your sport of choice.
They can increase flexibility and improve athletic performance while relieving pain and muscle tension.
Myofascial Release Therapy
Myofascial release therapy involves releasing stiffness in the fascia, or connective tissue system under the skin. During a myofascial release massage, your massage therapist will knead and stretch the muscles and fascia to release any tension and tightness.
Myofascial pain syndrome and headaches are just a few of the pain conditions that could benefit from this type of massage.
Deep Tissue
Your muscles can tighten from repetitive use, whether that be from something as active as weightlifting or activities such as sitting, driving, or hunching over your laptop.
During a deep tissue massage, your massage therapist will use deep finger pressure to relieve tension in the deepest layers of muscle and connective tissues. It may be prescribed if you have suffered a recent injury or experience chronic muscle pain.
Prenatal Massage
Prenatal massages are perfect for the moms-to-be looking to address all the aches and pains that come with pregnancy. This type of massage uses mild pressure focused on the lower back, hips, and legs.
By homing in on these areas, it helps relieve pressure on the hips and can help with swelling in the feet and legs. Not to mention, when mom is relaxed, the growing baby benefits from it, too.
Trigger Point Therapy
Have you ever experienced a tight knot in your neck or a tiny spasm in your back? These areas are known as “trigger points.” Trigger points are tight spots in the tissue or a muscle spasm that can cause pain in other areas of the body.
Trigger point massage therapy will focus on the specific areas of your body where tension needs to be released.
A study conducted in 2018 found that the treatment of head and neck muscles with trigger point therapy helped reduce the frequency, intensity, and duration of tension and migraine headaches.
At Pain Specialists of Charleston, we offer various forms of medical massage therapy near you. Consult our pain management physicians to help pinpoint the cause of your pain and to determine if medical massage therapy is the right form of treatment for you.
Ease the Tension with Help from the Pain Specialists of Charleston
It is not an easy feat to go about your day when your mind and body are plagued with chronic pain symptoms. From interventional pain treatments to the latest medical research, our Board Certified Physicians specialize in helping our patients say goodbye to pain without surgery or habit-forming drugs.
In addition to offering the latest in medical massage near you, we provide the most up-to-date interventional treatments designed to alleviate and manage your pain.
Find relief by giving us a call today to schedule an appointment!
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Published August 2024
