Your body is constructed around a bony skeleton composed of roughly 206 bones, which are jointed to one another. Skeletal muscles attach to two or more bones that are joined through one or more joints. Contraction of these muscles crossing their respective joints powers the movement of the bones, pivoting at their joints. Muscles tend to work in pairs, across joints, each muscle of the pair pulling opposite to its partner.
When muscles become tense due to stressors of any kind, both muscles of a pair partially contract and shorten, putting pressure across the joint(s) the muscles cross. This tension reduces the potential range of motion (ROM) at the joint(s), because part of the dynamic range of the muscles is already reached.
Significant research substantiates the effectiveness of massage therapy in improving range of motion. Experiencing one good therapeutic massage here at SVMTG will leave you no doubt that massage can help.
Massage encourages relaxation of the skeletal muscles, allowing them to elongate. As the opposing pairs of muscles loosen up, there is more potential range of motion in the joints they cross. Focused therapeutic massage can focus on one or a few joints and segments, bringing reduced tension and increased range of motion to the region.
Full-body therapeutic massage will address muscle tension widely in the body, frequently resulting in an overall feeling of suppleness, flexibility and ease following the session.
“Range of motion is increased after massage therapy.” International Journal of Neuroscience 2001,Vol. 106, No. 3-4: 131–145 (2012)
Massage reduces tense muscles, tight tendons and ligaments. It also loosens tissues surrounding muscles allowing more freedom of movement.
Massage also helps improve circulation, lymph flow, calm muscular and nervous systems, and helps balance your hormones.
Many professional athletes consider regular massage a scheduled, necessary part of their daily training, competition and recovery. Thousands of bodywork sessions were conducted by trained professional Massage Therapists at the recent Olympics in Sochi. Most of the athletes found time for the massage because they knew if they didn’t they’d end up sitting on the couch, injured.
So come by and let us help you loosen up. You’ll leave feeling great and our expert therapists will show you ways to prolong the feeling after your massage through stretching and other “homework” exercises.
