Massage therapy most definitely can help speed recovery on several levels.  When a limb is casted many compensatory challenges occur:

• The opposite limb gets over-used;
• How the person holds or moves their body changes;
• Pain can increase tension in unaffected muscles;
• Sleep is disrupted due to pain or cumbersome splints or casts.

Treating the body around the injury can assist both the physical and mental recovery in a competitive athlete.  A slow, monotonous convalescence can wear poorly on an athlete’s “mental edge”, making a minor injury seem more major than it might be.  Advanced Sport Massage techniques used pre- or post-immobilization can increase circulation to assist in healing, reduce inflammation to limit pain, and aid in diminishing range-limiting scarring while encouraging healthy & strong repair tissue.

Massage therapy has proven to be extremely effective post-casting in helping the patient increase range of motion, increase strength, decrease pain and thereby being more keen and motivated to stay on their rehabilitation programs.  For competitive athletes or armchair quarterbacks alike, massage is an integral part of a speedy recovery particularly when using specific sport techniques and myofascial release.

I strongly encourage my clients to also utilize my Far Infrared Sauna (since its free!) following treatments with me as it has been documented to also speed healing through detoxification, increased circulation and exposure to the far infrared energy itself.

Cheers!

Dena Liebrecht, RMT, SMT(cc), CBP, ESMT

Helping Okotoks & the Calgary area achieve their ultimate quality of life through Integrative Healing (therapeutic massage)!