Massage Benefits

We help your body work at optimal levels by releasing connective tissues throughout your body. The benefits of massage therapy are increased comfort, enhanced movement, heightened body awareness, and increased growth and self-healing.

 
 

Overcome Chronic Pain

 

Fascia, a continuous, connective tissue, covers, separates and organizes your muscles, bones and joints. Because fascia is body-wide, tension, injury, surgical incisions and repetitive movements in one part of your body can – and most often does – affect another part.

Over time, strain patterns are written into myofascial fabric, causing your fascia to shrink, or become hardened and sticky. Some of these strain patterns are minor; but some produce chronic or acute myofascial pain patterns and introduce significant limitations.

These myofascial pain patterns may begin in one locale, or may regularly produce pain in one spot, like the shoulder, knee or low back. However, the strain pattern – because of the distributive nature of fascia – is always body-wide.

Improve Performance and Speed Recovery

 

Many of our clients are trained or skilled athletes participating in activities – professional and amateur sports, endurance training, martial arts, dance, yoga and Pilates – that require physical strength, agility and stamina. Typically, these clients are mindful of, and actively managing, the condition and health of their muscles and soft tissues.

Athletes have unique needs, and generally seek one of two benefits from rehabilitative and sports massage therapy:

  1. To increase personal performance – increase coordination, increase stamina, more efficiently use their muscles, allow their bodies to conserve energy and create more economical and refined patterns of movement

  2. To speed recovery from injury

 
 
 

We are trained to vary techniques and modalities

During season, our therapists work with athletes to lengthen muscles and release soft tissue. The in-season benefits of sports massage therapy are increased range of motion and flexibility, increased oxygen capacity and endurance, improved inner-structural balance, the alleviation of discomforts, and increased blood and lymphatic flow.

During the off-season, our therapists use massage techniques that release restrictions throughout the body. We find that, regardless of ability or type of training and physical activity, athletes most commonly suffer from muscle imbalances. While these limitations regularly occur in one spot, the strain pattern of the limitation – because of the distributive nature of the fascial net – is always body-wide.

Through a whole body – not regional – approach, our therapists are highly successful helping athletes speed their recovery from sports injuries and increase performance.


 
 

Increase Range of Motion

 

At St. Louis Institute for Rehabilitative and Sports Massage, our therapists can provide treatment to individuals suffering from chronic or acute myofascial pain. For example:

Individuals preparing for, or recovering from, an operation can improve their recovery and healing – avoiding long-term side effects.

Our therapists can unlock the limitations of chronic tensions, habits and injuries – particularly those created by repetitive movement in a job or activity.

Individuals with specific conditions – such as whiplash, plantar fascitis, low back pain, frozen shoulder, fibromyalgia, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines/headaches, cerebral palsy, myofascial pain – can reduce or eliminate the restrictions that are at the root of their ailment.

Our therapists can use a combination of modalities to increase blood (venous) and lymphatic flow, improving neurological or circulation conditions

The day-to-day pressures of life and gravity push our bodies out of alignment. As people age, the impact of old habits, injuries and stresses that have become "fixed" in their bodies' muscular and fascial structures also can begin to impact their ability to lead a pain-free, active lifestyle.

 
 

It can start earlier than you think.

Often, by the time people reach their mid-40s or 50s, they begin to experience a decrease in their range of motion, particularly their cervical range of motion, and increase in recovery time following physical activity. At St. Louis Institute for Rehabilitative and Sports Massage, our therapists are experienced in helping middle-age adults combat the effects of aging by:

  • Correcting posture and cervical or skeletal shifts by releasing areas of tightness that have developed over a lifetime

  • Increasing their range of motion

  • Minimizing or eliminating aches and pains

  • Developing optimal balance and coordination for standing, sitting and moving

  • Decreasing recovery time