Using Massage Therapy To Help Restore Your Body And Mind After An Accident
If you've been injured in automobile accident, you likely have injuries that go beyond just physical aches and pains. Emotional scarring that occurs from the accident itself and coping with daily financial issues can leave a huge strain on your overall well-being. One way to combat physical and emotional stress is through massage therapy. Restorative massage focuses on helping to restore fluidity within your muscles and ease stress. Here are some additional ways that massage therapy may help you with your injuries and chronic pain.
Improves Circulation
Even if it's been weeks since your accident, the road to recovery can be a long one. If your circulation has been diminished due to a specific injury, an increase in blood flow can have serious effects on your body. Numbness, cold extremities and pain are just some of the symptoms of poor circulation. You may also be at an increased risk for blood clots. Restorative massage techniques by a licensed massage therapist may be able to help. One type—deep tissue massage, helps to improve blood flow to muscles throughout the affected area. Deep layers of muscle are targeted including your tendons and fascia. The goal is to get muscles to relax, increase oxygen levels in the blood and release the flow of muscle toxins.
Increases Range Of Motion
Many times when you've been in an accident and a specific body part such as your arm or neck have been injured, it's hard to get yourself moving freely again. In order to increase your range of motion, Swedish massage and trigger point therapy may be used. Relaxing the entire body is the initial step. This starts by rubbing targeted muscle groups with long strokes in relation to how blood is flowing to your heart. The massage therapist will also target specific trigger points on your body to help improve circulation and easing tension in those areas. The main goal is to get muscles to relax enough so that your injury can heal and you can move around more freely.
Muscle Relaxation
Getting muscles to relax can be hard if you have a painful injury. Nerves and muscle tension can make it hard for your body to heal quickly. Getting tired muscles to relax puts you in an relaxed state of mind and allows damaged bones and tendons to start repairing themselves. Deep muscle therapy, hot stone therapy and aromatherapy are techniques to consider as part of your recovery process.
Reduces Anxiety
Being in an auto accident or any type of situation where you've been seriously injured or hurt not only leaves visible scars, but it can also trigger anxiety and depression. Combating anxiety means getting a proper diagnosis and medication treatment if possible. Your doctor may also recommend massage therapy as part of your overall treatment. Massage offers a natural approach in order to treat your emotional symptoms and help you deal with stress easier. The result is a calming effect and a relaxed state of mind.
Always speak to your doctor before starting restorative massage therapy through a company like Stephen Parish Massage, especially if you have a significant injury and chronic widespread pain.
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