Soft Tissue Therapy
Canberra
Assessing and Treating Injuries
Through Soft Tissue Therapies
When many of us think of massages, we often think of relaxation massages, associating them with luxury and spa days. When it comes to soft tissue therapy, however, massage is used to treat injuries and boost long-term health.
Soft tissue therapy is a treatment-oriented massage therapy. These massage techniques are derived from the sports medicine industry, designed to assess and treat both sports injuries and various musculoskeletal conditions. The phrase ‘soft tissue’ refers to the muscles, fascia (connective tissue), ligament, and tendons in the body. These are particularly prone to overuse, overloading, shortening, and lengthening, which produce all kinds of aches, pains, and injuries.
Our Approach
Here at Powerhouse Canberra, we offer soft tissue therapy as one of our many treatment options. For people dealing with sports injuries and chronic conditions alike, our dry needling and fascia techniques may offer relief from pain and discomfort. One of the primary goals of our remedial soft tissue therapy is to speed up blood return from the arms and legs.
This helps to shorten recovery time from muscular strain by flushing the tissue of lactic acid, uric acid, and other metabolic wastes.
Simply put, soft tissue therapy may be able to help speed up your injury recovery and get you back to living the active life you love!
How Soft Tissue Therapy May Benefit You
Improve Overall Well-Being
Soft tissue therapy offers incredible benefits for the body and mind alike. Not only could you see improvements in your flexibility and posture, but your emotional well-being may also get a nice boost. As stress and tension are removed throughout the body, so too is stress alleviated from your daily life.
Treat Chronic Conditions
If you suffer from chronic health conditions, you’re probably exhausted from living with those symptoms. Soft tissue therapy may be used to assist in chronic pain management for a range of conditions, helping to manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Target Muscle Problems
This therapy can be used to target muscles that may be tight or damaged. Often, soft tissue therapy sessions will be used to loosen up muscles that may be contracted and shortened. Likewise, this technique can help to stimulate weak, flaccid muscles throughout the body.
Speed Up Recovery
If you’re recovering from an injury or condition, soft tissue therapy may be prescribed. This isn’t just to help with immediate symptoms, either. In fact, soft tissue treatment techniques may be utilised to speed up recovery and promote healing in the body.
Boost the Body’s Natural Processes
Soft tissue therapy activates the body in several ways. The stimulation involved may help increase your blood’s oxygen capacity, while also promoting more efficient movement patterns. It can also help with the production of gastric juices, saliva, and urine.
Balance the Nervous System
Depending on your body’s needs, soft tissue therapy can be used in different ways to help support the nervous system. This therapy can soothe or stimulate the system, which may help improve blood supply across the entire body.
Your Soft Tissue Therapy
Questions Answered
How does soft tissue therapy differ from other types of massage?
Soft tissue therapy is a specialised form of treatment focused on assessing, managing, and rehabilitating soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments, tendons, and fascia.
Unlike general relaxation or remedial massage, soft tissue therapy aims to address specific musculoskeletal issues, chronic pain, or functional impairments.
This makes it more goal-oriented and therapeutic compared to massages designed primarily for relaxation.
What is the difference between soft tissue therapy and sports massage?
While both soft tissue therapy and sports massage involve working with muscles and connective tissues, their purposes and applications differ.
Sports massage is specifically designed for athletes or physically active individuals. It focuses on improving performance, preventing injuries, and aiding recovery before or after exercise.
Techniques in sports massage are often tailored to address the physical demands of particular sports or activities.
Soft tissue therapy on the other hand, is a more versatile and holistic approach that targets a range of musculoskeletal issues, including injury recovery, postural imbalances, and chronic pain. It’s suitable for anyone, not just athletes.
What techniques are used during soft tissue therapy?
Soft tissue therapy employs a variety of techniques, including:
- Myofascial Release: Gentle sustained pressure on fascia aiming to improve mobility and reduce pain.
- Trigger Point Therapy: Targeting specific points of muscle tension to help relieve referred pain.
- Deep Tissue Massage: Applying firm pressure to deeper muscle layers to help alleviate tightness and stiffness.
- Stretching: Passive and active stretches to assist in improving flexibility and range of motion.
- Dry Needling: Using fine needles to target myofascial trigger points and help release muscle tension, improve blood flow, and reduce pain.
These techniques are often combined and customised to address a client’s specific issues and treatment goals.
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Book Your Appointment to Experience the Benefits First-Hand
Do you think soft tissue therapy is the support you’ve been looking for?
No matter your circumstances, our soft tissue therapists would love to help you improve your health and tackle whatever symptoms may be impacting your life.
Contact the friendly team at Powerhouse Canberra to learn more about our clinic and all the services we have available.
Or, if you’re ready to take the leap, click below to get your very first appointment on the calendar.
We look forward to seeing you soon!