Massage Therapy in Suwanee
It’s common for people to view massage therapy as an activity done solely for relaxation or stress relief. While massage can certainly achieve these results, it has also been shown to reduce pain in various conditions. If you’re interested in learning about Suwanee massage therapy, you’ve come to the right place.
What Conditions Can Be Treated with Massage Therapy?
In many cases, we use massage therapy in combination with other treatments for a variety of injury. Here are some ways in which massage therapy can be beneficial:
- Treating different kinds of pain. Pain is one of the most common reasons patients come to see us. While we also use treatments like chiropractic adjustment to help reduce pain and discomfort, massage therapy is very helpful for many patients. Depending on the cause of your pain, we might recommend deep tissue massage, myofascial release, or a sports massage. It’s particularly useful for neck, back, and musculoskeletal pain.
- Headaches and migraines. Several studies have found that people who receive massage therapy have fewer migraines, reduced pain from migraines, and better sleep (which may reduce the incidence of migraines on its own).
- Muscle injury or strain. We often use techniques like deep tissue massage to help heal damaged muscles by boosting circulation and reducing scar tissue, but there may be even more benefits. One study conducted by the Wyss Institute and Harvard found that massage therapy helped heal muscle damage by pushing inflammatory cells out of the muscles.
- Recovering after physical therapy. We recommend physical therapy to some patients who are recovering from injuries, as it can help them reclaim lost function, strengthen muscles, and have less pain in the long run. But in the short term, physical therapy can leave you a little sore, and your muscles may need to recover from the work you’re doing. Massage therapy is an excellent additional treatment to help you recover between physical therapy sessions, strengthen muscles, and lessen your pain.
- Reducing stress and anxiety. You may have been told to “avoid stress” while recovering from an injury or illness, but realistically, it’s hard to avoid stress in our world today. Between the events of your work and home life, stress is an everyday occurrence. It’s better to acknowledge your stress and work on ways to feel more relaxed, and massage therapy can help with that. The Mayo Clinic reports that massage therapy can even diminish stress levels and reduce anxious feelings in patients with depression and anxiety.
Nerve compression. A compressed nerve, such as the sciatic nerve, can cause pain, numbness, tingling, and other symptoms. Along with other therapies like chiropractic adjustment, massage therapy can help release the compression and improve blood flow to the nerve.
What Kinds of Massage Therapy Are Available?
At Optimum Health Rehab, we start by thoroughly investigating and diagnosing your pain or other symptoms using diagnostic tools like MRIs, CT scans, X-rays, and sometimes nerve conduction studies. This allows us to determine what kind of massage therapy and other treatments will work best for your difficulties and goals. As we continue therapy, we will check in with you at every session to learn how you’re doing, how you felt after your last treatment, and if there is anything we can do to help you feel better faster.
Here is the type of massage therapy we use:
Myofascial Release or Trigger Point Therapy
Myofascial tissue is a layer of protective tissue that wraps around the organs, muscles, tissues, and bones. Although it is very strong, it’s also elastic and pliable so that it doesn’t restrict movement – except when rigid or knotted areas form. This can occur due to injury, inflammation, stress, or other issues that put the body under strain. These knots are muscle fibers trapped in the contracted position, which cause reduced blood flow and pain.
Myofascial release is a type of massage therapy in which the therapist seeks out these stiff, knotted areas, or trigger points, and applies continued strokes until they relax and become more elastic again. It is often used for myofascial pain syndrome, a chronic pain condition that is very common (although many people don’t know they have it). It can affect any muscle, but most frequently occurs in the neck and shoulders. Trigger point therapy can also help people with chronic muscle pain that hasn’t responded to other treatments.
Is Massage Therapy Covered by Health Insurance?
Unfortunately, most policies do not cover massage therapy, although they may cover complementary treatments like chiropractic care. But if you need massage therapy for an injury, you may be able to seek coverage from the at-fault party’s auto, home, or business liability policy. In fact, even if you don’t think that another party is at fault, it doesn’t hurt to check with a personal injury lawyer. They may be able to find some type of liability coverage that applies, including your own car insurance policy in some cases. Our staff can put you in touch with an excellent personal injury law firm if needed.
Schedule an Appointment for Suwanee Massage Therapy Today
If you’re ready to learn more about or try massage therapy, please contact our friendly staff today. We’ll be happy to help you schedule an appointment or consultation. Don’t know what kind of massage therapy you need? Our therapists will take the time to diagnose your issues and recommend a treatment plan just for you. Call (678) 546-0550 now or contact us online to get started on your first massage therapy treatment.