I’ve been asked that by a lot of ‘new’ runners. The answer isn’t necessarily ‘black & white’. There are quite a few factors to take into account.

Such as:

• Are you event training or running for exercise
• Have you had any previous injuries (not necessarily related to running)
• Your body type & physique
• How committed are you to running

These are just some of the progressionary questions & steps I take each of my running athletes through before starting a regimen of Deep Tissue or Myofascial Release Massage & periodically as we go, as plans or goals change as the individual advances physically.

New runners, or individuals who haven’t run since their youth, can experience disappointment either immediately or after running for a few months depending on whether or not you get personal training instruction before you start ‘pounding the pavement’. Going it alone seldom works out in your best interest. I know that “it’s just running, something I’ve been doing since forever”, but without specific & educated help, 9 times out of 10 you will fail, & your body will receive the brunt of it. There are a lot of variables to consider, & a Personal Trainer (especially one with running experience) should take those into account.

Now, as far as massage goes the reality is there are 2 different approaches you can take. The first is unfortunately the most common, the “don’t fix it ’til it’s broke”-runner. These are the patients that come in, usually limping or hunched over, because there is something wrong. A strained this, a sprained that, a pulled something, or new pain here. Fortunately for these folks massage is a great medium to help promote healing in the body through a plethera of different ways, so all is not lost. I have seen with my own eyes individuals come in with 2nd degree strains of the primary calf muscle, & in literally 8-10 weeks time of getting nothing but massage & following my instruction, be back to the same workout routine their where doing before they got hurt. I always wonder after seeing a client-patient recover whether the next time I see this person will they be ‘limping’ into my office yet again, or are they going to learn from their mistake & start doing what the minority of patients do.

The second, much smaller group is the ”mama didn’t raise no fool”-patient. These are patients that understand where they are physically, don’t necessarily like it, but are determined to do everything they can to make the changes they want, but without doing more damage to themselves. They heed the warning of others & begin their massage regimen before, or at least at the same time they begin their training for running. The outcome for these few amongst us is much brighter & more predicable. It isn’t that they aren’t going to have issues, but it’s that their body will be more susceptible to changes & the work that will need to be done for them to reach their goals.

Remember, before you start tackling the hills of Lake Oswego, West Linn, Tualatin, Wilsonville, Tigard, Beaverton, Sherwood, or Portland, massage should be a part of your healthcare & workout routine to keep you going & help you achieve your running goal.

• Massage creates chemical changes that reduce pain and stress throughout the body.
• Individuals with a form of muscle pain called fibromyalgia showed less substance P in their saliva (and they reported reduced pain) after a month of twice-weekly massages.
• The stress hormone called cortisol in subjects’ saliva before and after massage sessions, and found dramatic decreases. 

In a 2005 study at the University of South Florida, hypertension patients who received 10 massages of 10 minutes each over three weeks showed significant improvements in blood pressure compared to a control group who simply rested in the same environment without any massage.

By Temma Ehrenfeld | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Hope

No matter the problems you’re facing physically, emotionally or spiritually, as long as you have breath you have hope of altering your predicament. Now what you do with your situation is completely up to you, but the opportunity is present so long as you’re still kicking.

Perspective

Now, through Hope you will find perspective, that is to say a greater understanding of what “is” and what “is needed”. I once worked along side an amazing engineer who taught me,”The first step in fixing a problem is establishing there’s a problem to fix”. Perspective is analysis and realization of a current situation. Left to its own devise, however, perspective can accomplish more destruction than rehabilitation. But when you combine Hope with Perspective, well that’s when anything is possible, and the impossible is obtained.

Thanksgiving

Consequentially, the result of Hope in conjunction with Perspective will invoke Thankfulness, as it should. You see we have each been given an opportunity, both individually and collectively, to utilize those Gifts of Hope and Perspective, and with any gift, you should receive it with a Thankful heart.

Brian D. Buckner

Anxiety. Massage reduced anxiety in depressed children and anorexic women. It also reduced anxiety and withdrawal symptoms in adults trying to quit smoking.

Pain. Pain was decreased in people with fibromyalgia, migraines and recent surgery. Back pain also might be relieved by massage. However, back pain study results have been contradictory, and more research is required.

Labor pain. Massage during labor appears to lessen stress and anxiety, relax muscles and reduce pain.

Infant growth. Massage encouraged weight gain in premature babies and reduced the number of days they stayed in the hospital.

Children with diabetes. Children who were massaged every day by their parents were more likely to stick to their medication and diet regimens, which helped reduce their blood glucose levels.

Sports-related soreness. Some athletes receive massages after exercise, especially to the muscles they use most in their sport or activity. A massage might help increase blood flow to your muscles and may reduce muscle soreness after you exercise. 

MayoClinic.com

Sports massage should play an important part in the life of any sportsman or woman whether they are injured or not.

It is essential to integrate massage therapy into your training program.

Physical effects of massage

• Increased tissue permeability – Deep massage causes the pores in tissue membranes to open, enabling fluids and nutrients to pass through. This helps remove waste products such as lactic acid and encourage the muscles to take up oxygen and nutrients which help them recover quicker.
• Stretching – Massage can stretch tissues that could not be stretched in the usual methods. Bundles of muscle fibers are stretched lengthwise as well as sideways. Massage can also stretch the sheath or fascia that surrounds the muscle, so releasing any tension or pressure build up.
•  Break down scar tissue – Scar tissue is the result of previous injuries or trauma and can affect muscle, tendons and ligaments. This can lead to inflexible tissues that are prone to injury and pain.
• Improve tissue elasticity – Hard training can make tissues hard and inelastic. This is one reason why hard training may not result in improvements. Massage helps reverse this by stretching the tissues.
• Opens micro-circulation – Massage does increase blood flow to tissues, but so does exercise. What massage also does is open or dilate the blood vessels and by stretching them this enables nutrients to pass through more easily.  

 Written by Cliff English

sportsinjuryclinic.net