A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP: Powerlifting and Orthopedic Massage Therapy
Powerlifting and Orthopedic Massage Therapy are symbiotic in nature. Without Orthopedic Massage Therapy or Sports Massage you as an athlete may run the risk of putting your muscles, joints and connective tissue through significant physical demand and stress.
OMT is geared toward reducing injuries that powerlifters and athletes face such as muscular imbalances, muscle strains and ligament sprains. If powerlifters utilize an OMT it can become a turning point for preventing and managing injuries also reducing that pesky 4-6 weeks of recovery time from an injury. They help improve circulation, reduce delayed onset muscle soreness, prevent injury, increase range of motion, induce muscular relaxation, add substance to pre and post-orthopedic surgical operation and improve recovery.
Circulation Improvement:
OMT’s primary focus is on pain relief and muscular manipulation to improve blood circulation through the body. By doing this they increase the venous return, which is the rate of blood flow back to the heart thus increasing oxygen rich blood to the muscles and connective tissues for healing.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness:
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or better known as DOMS are microscopic tears to the muscle fibers and onset build-up of metabolic waste within the muscles. Think about the heavy lift day and how you feel within the next 1-3 days after. Scientifically there are a vast list of possible causes for DOMS but most common are muscle overuse, inadequate or insufficient warm up and or cool down, and muscle strains and ligament sprains. DOMS are a cause of injury, reduced activity, range of motion (ROM) and relaxation.
OMT can decrease the pain associated with DOMS by improving/increasing blood flow that carries vital nutrients and oxygen for muscle recovery. Improving circulation improves blood flow and decreases the possibility of DOMS.
Injury Prevention:
Regular sessions with an OMT may prevent injuries and compensatory pain by addressing muscular imbalances, tension reduction, pain points before they escalate, and fixing patterns of dysfunction. Most athletes will try to fix a specific problem through massage therapy first before going to a doctor or physical therapist, helping reduce the problem before going down the road of Orthopedics.
Increased Range of Motion:
Increased Range of Motion (ROM) with the help of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) is a helpful set of tools for an OMT, especially with Powerlifters. PNF is a stretching technique used to improve muscular elasticity and has been shown to have an increase with passive ROM tests. By using a combination of isometric, passive stretching and also gentle active muscle resistance, we can break up patterns of neuromuscular blocking that inhibit full ROM.
Another technique that has been used to increase ROM is Active Release Therapy or also known as Pin and Stretch. OMT’s will use this to lock some of the athletes soft tissue in place and with the rest of the soft tissue they would begin lengthening the muscle tissue, increasing passive ROM.
Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy also works wonders by focusing on knots or pinpoint sections of irritability which are usually found deep within a tensioned section of muscle. A myofascial trigger point is a hyper-irritable spot, usually within a taut band of skeletal muscle or fascia, which is often painful upon compression. These trigger points also have referral patterns that trick the mind into seeing one issue but not the overall problem at hand.
Muscular Relaxation:
Due to the nature of powerlifting, and repetitive movements the athlete can and probably will experience intense periods of muscular tightness. Massage by nature works to help out those issues by releasing tension, improving ROM, reducing stress that can lead to DOMS and promoting overall relaxation.
Pre and Post-Op Recovery:
For an athlete that has to go through the process of getting a surgical fix to an issue OMT’s provide a beneficial service to the area or areas affected by a pre and post operation. For Pre-Op the massage therapy may help loosen up and or relax the affected area of discomfort reducing the high probability of creating muscular imbalances and negative chronic movement patterns. As for Post-Op, a massage therapist can aid in reducing scar tissue, increase circulation around the surgical site, and help with ROM. (Sensing a theme here!)
Accelerated Recovery:
By utilizing an OMT or Sport Massage therapist, athletes and powerlifters alike can have a faster recovery from injury, muscle fatigue and/or onset soreness. The body does an amazing job of utilizing the lymph system to eliminate waste and with the help of a massage therapist, it can reduce the injury time by stimulating active healing through increasing blood circulation. It’s all connected!
Above are the main reasons why OMT would greatly increase your recovery but don’t take it from me. Go ahead and talk to others, try it out for yourself and remember every massage therapist is different, just like a talk therapist. Sometimes it just takes a few tries to find an individual who meshes with you, helps you as an athlete and that you feel comfortable working with.
Cheers!
Interested in Learning More About Massage Therapy?
Check out these resources:
The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook - Clair Davies NCTMB and Amber Davies CMTPT, LMT
Manual Therapy for the Low Back and Pelvis: A Clinical Orthopedic Approach - Joseph E. Muscolino, DC
The Muscle and Bone Palpation Manual with Trigger Points, Referral Patterns and Stretching - Joseph E. Muscolino, DC
Release your Pain: Resolving Repetitive Strain Injuries with Active Release Techniques - Brian Abelson and Kamali Abelson
Orthopedic Massage: Theory and Technique - Whitney W. Lowe