CLINICAL MASSAGE FOR SPORTS AND REHABILITATION
The medicinal needs of athletes differ from those of the general public. An athlete is defined as an individual who possesses the abilities such as strength, agility or endurance required for participating in a sport. Targeted techniques are used in order to reach selected goals of the therapy. The first reason for using targeted techniques is time. Especially when dealing with third-party payers (insurance companies) and prescribed treatments, it is important to use massage therapy as efficiently as possible to limit needed recovery time. Second, the effectiveness of the targeted technique is important in order to use the most effective pressure, etc. according to the specific injury. The third reason to learn clinical massage is need. Many individuals want to sooth aches and pains and require more than a relaxation massage to target and relive the pain. It is important to possess these skills in order to meet the many needs of clients.
TRIGGER POINTS
Essential information needed in order to create a strong foundation in clinical massage therapy includes knowledge on fascia, muscles, spasms, trigger points and muscle soreness. Fascia is a type of connective tissue that can change stages from gel state (thick, tough, inflexible, restricts movement) to sol state (thin, pliant, elastic, less restricted movement). By generating heat via friction, massaging, whirlpool or hot pack, clinical therapists can create more movement and mobility. Muscles allow our body to move, have posture and produce heat. Spasms occur in the muscles due to an injury that causes hypersensitivity where the motor units generate contractions with reduced stimuli. Trigger points are a rigid zone or knot found in the muscle, tendon, fascia, ligament or periosteum. In muscles, trigger points are neurochemical events that cause fibers to stick together. Spasms and trigger points can be onset by insufficient strength, inflexibility, lack of hydration and electrolyte or nutrient imbalance. Trigger points can be relieved by pressure on the skin over the point and tracing a figure 8 or N, E, S, W on a compass. Muscle soreness, a frequent complaint from clients, can be classified as either immediate or delayed. Delayed-onset muscle soreness is usually not felt until 8-14 hours later and the biological process of it still remains a mystery, although there are many theories behind it.
INJURIES
Injury or trauma is a result of tissue damage due to violence or an accident. Lesions, a noticeable injury to normally healthy tissue, can occur as a cut on the skin, break in a bone, tumor in the brain, etc. Injuries are classified according to origin, occurrence and symptom. Acute injuries begin abruptly and are accompanied by severe pain. Chronic injuries are slow to develop and may occur and reoccur as a result of past acute injury. When working with athletes, there are many factors that can prevent or be the cause of injury. Foremost is the warm-up. Soft tissue must be warm in order to reach optimal elasticity to prevent muscle tears. Lack of flexibility means the muscle is not as elastic as it should be. Again, athletes need to stretch and warm up to help prevent injury. Unsuitable equipment and overtraining are also typical causes of injury to athletes.
RECOVERY
The primary task of the clinical massage is to heal. The body begins trying to repair itself the second it becomes injured. Inflammation is a defense mechanism that is the initial response to tissue damage. The purpose of inflammation is to stabilize, contain and repair. The body takes on many different tasks when trying to heal itself including resolution, regeneration and fibrosis, which are all different ways to repair or replace damaged tissue. Recovery time for each injury depends on many factors of the patient including age, wound condition, health and habits, nutrition, circulation and type of tissue injury. Each one of these factors will affect the rate at which the patient heals. Rehabilitation is the process of restoration of a person who has had an illness or injury so as to regain maximal self-sufficiency and function in a normal or near-normal manner as possible. The three stages of rehabilitation include addressing the faulty body mechanism, restore and rebuild endurance, flexibility and strength and finally to address diet, stress and emotional well being. It is important to understand that athletes must be handled differently than average clients because of the extensive use of their body, their ability to heal and their need to consistently train and build strength.
