A Medical Massage Can Reduce Pain and Help Muscles Recover

Does medical massage help?

"Yes", says a doctor at urgent care Arlington VA. "A massage done by a trained professional can aid circulation, soothe sore muscles and alleviate the pain of sports injuries".

Some people may be skeptical about the benefits massage delivers. Yet, many people swear by it. It is no wonder scores of doctors prescribe massage with the result; many masseurs have legitimized this ancient practice.

"Just the laying on of hands make you feel better", says a patient who recently underwent medical massage therapy.

But make sure the masseur is competent. Ask about his/her training and check references. If you are living in a state that requires licensing, make sure the masseur has one.

A good masseur will ask for your medical history before the start of the session. Why?

Because he or she knows that people with certain health issues must avoid massage or get it recommended by doctors. For example, patients with following ailments may not be suitable for a massage.

• Cardiac patients
• Diabetes
• High fever
• Varicose veins
• Cancer
• Infectious diseases

If you are in pretty good health, deep tissue massage can be beneficial for you.

It lengthens and relaxes deep tissue. Several people have vouched that a good massage helps in managing pain and increase range of motion.

A study done in 2017 looked at the effects deep tissue massage on men having ankylosing spondylosis. The study revealed that deep tissue massage substantially reduced pain compared to therapeutic massage.

Simply put, any type of pain can potentially benefit from massage therapy. "I often suggest massage therapy to my patients in my urgent care facility for problems like low back pain and neck pain", says a physician at urgent care Arlington VA.

You must keep in mind that licensed massage therapists must complete specified hours of training in an approved school of massage therapy. The training sessions include both theory and practice, with courses in physiology, anatomy and other subjects.

The use of complementary healing techniques in a hospital setting or even in an urgent care clinic is increasing. While the methodology of massage remains the same at all venues, there can be differences in hospital-based medical therapy. Here the therapists are expected to understand their scope of work.
"Our therapists understand how their treatment fits into my patients overall treatment plan", says one of the doctors in Arlington VA urgent care.

It is good to note that some urgent care clinics offer Integrative Bodywork and Medical Massage therapy. For scheduling massage, you may need to get in touch with the massage therapist, whose contact details are provided on the urgent care center's website.

At this juncture you may wonder whether it is safe to get a massage during Covid-19?
This is a valid question. Yes, there is some risk by being in close contact with the massage therapist. But be assured that the American Massage Therapy Association has provided in-depth guidelines to keep both the therapists and the patients safe. This includes:

• Proper hand hygiene
• Using personal protection equipment
• Thorough cleaning and disinfecting of massage rooms
• Spacing out appointments to allow for sanitization between clients/ patients.

So, you can rest assured that urgent care clinics strictly follow the specified Covid-19 protocols for all settings.