Massage therapy and physiotherapy are almost similar. After all, the main objectives of these treatment options are to relieve pain and restore body functions.
In addition, they both involve soft tissue manipulation by rubbing and kneading problem areas of the body.
The only distinguishing factor is that while physiotherapy focuses on restoring joint function, massage therapy is ideal for improving overall body wellness.
When combined during treatment, massage therapy and physiotherapy can offer significant benefits to patients. It can help relieve stress, enhance mood, and reduce recovery time.
With that said, here are seven ways massage therapy can help complement physical therapy:
Speeds Up Recovery
One of the main concerns for any patient is how long it would take to recover from their injuries. Without any form of therapy, you will likely develop stiff muscles, which might slow down the recovery process.
You may have to wait for weeks or even months to recover fully from your injuries.
Physiotherapy is a reliable treatment option for rehabilitating and reconditioning your body. When combined with massage therapy, it can speed up your recovery.
Massage involves various techniques that relax the muscles, calm the nervous system, and improve blood flow, allowing your body to stretch more for faster recovery.
Increases Range of Motion
After an injury, you will likely develop mobility issues as you struggle with sore or stiff muscles, swollen tissues, and inflammation around the problem areas.
Your joints will also stop moving as usual as you try to manage the pain and nurse the injury, consequently limiting your range of motion.
With physical therapy, you can restore your joint function and improve your range of motion over time.
Massage therapy will complement your physiotherapy routines by relaxing the muscles and easing the tension around the joints, allowing for increased movement and flexibility.
Improves Posture
Let’s face it. Maintaining good posture is not easy, especially as we grow older. One benefit of physiotherapy that people overlook is its ability to correct your many years of bad posture.
An experienced physiotherapist can combine several techniques and exercises to help rebalance your body and improve your posture.
Massage therapy complements the gains of physical therapy by improving your body alignment and restoring your natural movements. It also helps reduce the tension and soreness around your once-misaligned body parts.
Builds Muscle Strength
Physiotherapy entails several workout routines that focus on rebuilding your muscles and improving your tractability.
These targeted exercises not only strengthen your muscles but also increase your core strength and improve flexibility around your knees, hips, and ankles.
Massage therapy can help build weak muscles in several ways. First, it relaxes the muscles, allowing the body to flush out metabolic waste and toxins quickly.
It also improves oxygenation and blood flow, subsequently facilitating speedy recovery and healing. All these functions eventually help to build and maintain healthy muscles.
Aids in Pain Management
Physical therapy might not be enough to deal with the pain caused by some types of injuries. In any case, physiotherapy usually focuses on restoring your body function rather than handling pain.
Incorporating massage therapy in your physical therapy can go a long way to minimize the toll on your body. It allows for better blood flow throughout the body for quicker recovery and repair of damaged tissues.
It also eases tension and reduces inflammation, eventually helping patients manage the pain associated with their injuries.
Comprehensive Treatment
Physical therapy only addresses specific aspects of an injury. Massage therapy attempts to be broader, but it is still limited as far as treating certain kinds of injuries is concerned.
Physiotherapy combined with massage therapy is a comprehensive treatment option.
It integrates all elements of each form of care to address all sides and aspects of your injury, guaranteeing the complete restoration of your health and body function.
Enhances Overall Health
While physiotherapy is about restoring your joint and muscle function, massage therapy is a whole-body treatment option.
Now, when you apply a combined approach of the two types of therapy, you will experience an improvement in your overall health.
Both forms of care complement each other to stimulate your body, increase blood flow, and enhance bodily functions for your general wellbeing.
Sometimes you do not have to be injured to go for a massage. The therapy is beneficial in relaxing your muscles, relieving stress, boosting your mood, and giving you the peace of mind that you deserve.
Enjoy the Benefits of a Combined Approach
When selecting treatment options for joint and muscle injuries, most people opt for either massage therapy or physical therapy. No doubt, both forms of treatment are reliable when dealing with musculoskeletal injuries.
However, physical therapy can be somewhat limited since it only focuses on restoring joint and muscle function. Conversely, massage therapy in Calgary uses a holistic approach.
Combining the two can be highly beneficial, and you can expect a speedy recovery from all your injuries.
Hi, I’m Eleena Wills. Being a writer and blogger, I strive to provide informative and valuable articles to people. With quality, constructive, and well-researched articles, one can make informed choices. I cover a wide range of topics, from Health, Beauty and Fashion.