Hockey players work their butts off both on and off the rink to stay in shape to perform at their best. Inspired by the big leagues, this is also the time of year when fans and amateur players head out for a game of pick-up or organized league face-off.
So what do all of these players have in common, no matter their level of play? The pain that is often inevitable when it comes to playing hockey.
Hockey-Related Injuries
Even though hockey can be dangerous because of the level of contact and intensity, much of the hockey related pain players suffer is caused by overuse – pain that slowly develops over time as a result of repetitive stress on different parts of the body, specifically muscles, tendons, bones, and joints.
In the initial stages these injuries may not seem difficult to deal with. Often, players just attribute them to an overly forceful game or not enough stretching, but if left untreated overuse injuries can worsen over time.
Active Myofascial Release Therapy
So, what can you do to treat these overuse injuries? Active Myofascial Release Therapy.
What is Active Myofascial Release Therapy (ART)? ART is an advanced form of massage therapy that uses over 500 different patented moves to reduce or eliminate pain most often caused by injuries due to overuse.
The combination of movement and massage works to treat pain in nerves, tendons, ligaments, muscles and other connective tissue in your body. ART isn’t a treatment that just anyone can perform. The training is extensive and you have to be a licensed practitioner to put these techniques to use.
How It Works
It is important to note that ART is not like a typical massage – there are no soothing melodies or hot stones here. It isn’t meant to be relaxing, as it’s designed to relieve pain. The whole idea behind ART is that scar tissue on or between the muscles causes them to shorten and become weaker, thereby leading to pain and discomfort. ART identifies that scar tissue and works to break it up, allowing for a much greater degree of movement.
ART focuses on developed adhesions or scar tissue in muscles. When tissue is damaged, the body responds by replacing the tissue with scar tissue or fibrosis that adheres to healthy tissue. Over time these adhesions can enlarge making the muscles shorter and weaker which alters range of motion and can compress nerves causing pain and poor mobility. ART works to restore motion and release trapped blood vessels eliminating the pain and weakness in the tissue. Our OHP Kelowna massage therapists use hand pressure and stretching motions, examining the texture of the tissue and eliminating the adhesions allowing you an improved quality of life with less pain.
Regardless of whether you play professionally or just enjoy a competitive game of shinny on the weekend with friends, sudden hockey injuries or those resulting from overuse can wreak havoc on the body.
In fact, Active Release Technique has been proven to work for individuals of all ages and lifestyles. ART can benefit anyone from the athlete in training to the elderly. ART is the only treatment that is applicable to almost every area in the musculoskeletal system by joining an extensive knowledge of biomechanics with hands-on application.
Contact us to know more about it.
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