"My Muscles are ALWAYS Sore and Tight!"

This is one of the most common things I hear day to day working in Massage. Muscular aches and pains are something every person from desk workers to warehouse labourers just cannot escape.

So what makes muscles "tight"? Since tightness, pain and aching are all subjective sensations, there isn't one correct answer. Anatomically, a tight muscle could come from a muscular spasm, causing a shortening of the contractile muscular tissue, or the increase of fascial adhesions. Fascia is normally occurring connective tissue that covers every muscle, organ, blood vessel and nerve in the body. Adhesions can build up in the tissue by repetitive stress, injury, trauma, increased activity or being inactive for long periods of time. Physically feeling those sensations does not necessarily mean you have an anatomical shortening of the muscle, but it could be caused by any of the following factors:

• Postural dysfunctions, especially work-related posture
• Decrease in range of motion
• Trigger points
• Muscular imbalances
• High stress
• Or many other reasons

Fortunately, the feeling of tightness is not always a signal of a severe injury, but often simply the body's perception of inadequate rest or blood flow to a given area.

Now that you know why you feel the way you do, let's talk about what we can actually do to help you feel better.  Massage therapy is a perfect approach for these issues. The Mayo Clinic describes massage therapy as the manipulation of the soft tissues of your body — muscle, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments and skin. A massage therapist will use varying degrees of pressure and movement.When provided by a certified medical professional (registered massage therapist, or RMT), massage is considered part of integrative medicine. Medical centers are offering it more and more as a treatment and is often used for a wide range of medical conditions.
Not only does the physical element of touch feel good on those uncomfortable achy spots, but things like heat and stretching go a long way too — all readily available during your massage appointment. Moreover, a trained RMT will prescribe movement, stretches, limits, pain-relief creams, hot/cold therapy and more to help you get the most out of your visit. 

At Thrive Wellness Centre we now offer Registered Massage Therapy services, available for 30, 45 and 60 minute appointments. We also direct bill most extended health insurance companies and ICBC motor vehicle accident claims. Call or go online to book your massage appointment today. Click here to see our RMT's availability.