Running is a rather safe sport, at least when compared to a lot of team and contact sports. You don't typically see runners with concussions or complex fractures, for instance. What runners do often develop, though, is overuse injuries. These overuse injuries respond well to therapies and rest. Massage therapy is especially helpful for a lot of common running injuries related to the muscles, tendons, and other connective tissues. Here are some specific running injuries that respond well to massage therapy.
IT Band Syndrome
IT band syndrome is a condition in which the IT band becomes inflamed. This is a band of connective tissue that runs from the outside of your knee to the outside of your hip. IT band syndrome often happens when runners increase their mileage too quickly or run a lot of hills. To an extent, it is a consequence of tight muscles. If the muscles in your calves and thighs tighten up, they pull on the IT band, leading to IT band syndrome.
Many runners struggle with IT band syndrome coming back again and again, and this is because they never treat the underlying cause: tight muscles. Massage therapy can loosen up those muscles to relieve tension on the IT band and allow it to finally heal.
Plantar Fasciitis
The plantar fascia is a band of connective tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot, from your heel to your forefoot. It can cause your arch and heel to feel really tight and painful, especially in the morning. Plantar fasciitis is often the long-term consequence of tight calf muscles. When your calves are tight, you land on your heels more, and this puts strain on the plantar fascia. A massage therapist can massage and loosen up your calves, which can help plantar fasciitis heal. They can also directly massage the plantar fascia to relieve a lot of the tension in the structure.
Hip Bursitis
Pain on the outside of the hip is usually due to bursitis, which is an inflammation of the bursae. The bursae are fluid-filled sacs meant to cushion the joint. If your hamstrings and glutes are really tight, they will cause a lot of friction on the bursae, leading to inflammation and pain. A massage therapist can loosen up these muscles and ease the friction, allowing bursitis to heal.
If you're struggling with any of the running injuries above, make an appointment for a massage at a local business, like Timeless Aesthetic Injections. It could be the key to your healing.
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