While massage therapy can be beneficial as healing for sore musculature caused by common stress and daily wear and tear, it can also help facilitate health benefits for more extraneous injuries. Trauma to muscles can be sustained from numerous sources, especially vehicular accidents and sports-related injuries. Short term care can be provided by medical teams, but massage can be beneficial to long-term recovery when paired with physical therapy, especially in the following three types of injuries.
Neck Pain and Whiplash
Some of the most common injuries sustained in accidents are neck injuries due to the head snapping back and forth during impact; about 25% of those suffering from this type of trauma end up suffering from chronic pain as well. Some short term symptoms are stiffness, poor range of motion, tenderness, and headaches, all of which are symptoms relative to other problems commonly treated with massage.
Knee Injuries
Knee injuries often occur in car- and athletic-related accidents alike: adolescent athletes alone report 2.5 million knee injuries annually, and the US Department of Transportation notes a large number of traumas sustained by those in the front passenger’s seat are to the knees. Massaging an injury (after you’ve been cleared by a doctor) helps bring oxygen and blood flow to the area for faster relief and healing.
Spinal Cord Injuries
35 percent of this type of injury derives from automobile and motorcycle accidents, and 9 percent from contact sports and diving. Massage can help increase range of motion as well as improve muscle strength with this type of bodily distress.
Many injuries, including those sustained to internal organs, do not appear until days, weeks, and sometimes months after an accident; because the release of endorphins can mask pain, it’s not uncommon for someone to turn down emergency medical services, unaware of damage to organs from seat belts, helmets, etc. While massage is beneficial in helping to heal musculature trauma, it can actually do harm to internal injuries. So before you add massage to your recovery regimen, you should always consult your physician.