MASSAGE THERAPY AT WSM

At Waterloo Sports Medicine Clinics we are committed to helping active individuals in our community stay active and want to enhance their ability to participate in their athletic or recreational pursuits. To this end we have assembled a knowledgeable team of physicians, physiotherapists, pedorthists, nutritonists and massage therapists. Our massage therapy program continues to grow and evolve to better meet the demands of today's athletes and active individuals.

Massage therapy continues to grow in popularity as a viable form of treatment for soft tissue and other injuries. It is used by most professional athletes and teams as a regular staple in their training and rehabilitation of injuries. Why then is it not utilized to a greater degree by the general public and our amateur athlete community? Education is probably the most prominent reason. To see massage as less a personal indulgence and more of a practical means of managing ones' health should now be the message of all registered practitioners to the public.

With physical activity becoming more prescriptive in our society in terms of its ability to stave off a host of ailments, more and more people are looking at giving their muscles a daily workout. With this comes an inherent need to manage our bodies and the needs of its systems (eg. musculoskeletal) more diligently. To do this we can look at many different options. Strengthening our "core" muscle groups gives us a good place from which to participate in physical activity. Maintaining joints and muscles by regular stretching is another postitive investment we can make for ourselves. Utilizing sports massage can also be an integral and effective way of preventing or recovering from injury.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REGULAR MASSAGE AND SPORTS MASSAGE?

This is the most frequently asked question that I get in my profession. By "regular" massage people usually mean those treatments offered at spas or rehabilitation clinics. Both environments offer valid treatment for overworked, stressed muscles. Sports massage is that treatment given with the understanding not only of anatomy and physiology but also of the particular demands placed upon the body by this individual and their sport. It is done with the principal mandate of returning the person to their desired activity with the same or better level of function. It can include more aggressive techniques that approach muscles more deeply. Sports massage will often utilize a variety of modalities such as remedial exercise (aka passive stretching), hydrotherapy, muscle energy techniques and deep tissue work. Primarily though, the diffence lies with function. The return of the patient to full or better function so that they can participate in a chosen activity is our main goal.

WHY COME TO WATERLOO SPORTS MEDICINE FOR MASSAGE?

Over the last six years I have developed an approach that has proven to be effective for my athletes and patients alike. It's simple and is the basis from which all of our therapists treat our clientele. We haven't reinvented the wheel but often the most obvious things in life are not given the attention they deserve. I call this approach "Co-operative Functional Rehabilitation".

Co-operative Functional Rehabilitation is simply establishing a relationship with our clientele that shares responsibility for our accomplishments. Nobody's health improves without them wanting it to. We work with individuals who are as committed as we are to preventing, recovering or improving from an injury. Knowing this allows us to give our athletes the tools to treat themselves at home or in their sport environment (eg. exercises, stretches, self massage techniques). Our approach involves goal setting with our patients and outlining a plan to reach those goals.

Currently I see people in one or more of the following stages:

   1. Acute Injury (doesn't happen all that often)
   2. Injury Rehabilitation (into the subacute/chronic phase)
   3. Performance Maintenance (the majority of our clients)
   4. Performance Enhancement (makes up the least percentage of clientele)

At WSM our massage team usually sees patients who are in the subacute or chronic phase of injury (meaning they've been dealing with it longer than 72hrs) and/or the performance maintenance phase where an athlete seeks proactive treatment in order to avoid injury. In North American society we are socialized to seek out treatment only if an injury occurs. With athletes becoming more educated all the time we are seeing an increase in being proactive about injury prevention instead of reactive. Where we get really excited is when we can take a person who is participating in an activity and help them improve their overall performance. We do this by looking at potential muscle imbalances (either in flexibility or strength), biomechanical weaknesses (utilizing a depth of knowledge from not only our own field but also by our team of physios, pedorthists and physicians) and strengthening exercises particular to that athletes' activity.

WSM AND EDUCATION

One of the mandates that our massage team has is to educate both ourselves and our patients. Studies show that the more a person understands the mechanism of their injury (how they got it) and what the method of treatment will be, the more likely the treatment plan will work. To this end, our therapists and physicians alike try to inform our patients as to the type of injury/condition they're experiencing, the best course of treatment and the possible outcome(s) of that treatment. It is also important to us that we try to stay on top of the latest research and methods regarding injuries, treatments, training and rehabilitation. Currently, our massage staff have a combined 12 yrs of treatment experience in sports massage and also have an athletic/massage therapist available for onfield work. If you have any questions regarding an activity/sport that you are doing or are about to participate in with regard to conditioning or injury prevention please contact us at 746-2220. We would be glad to offer some suggestions to keep you injury free.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Waterloo Sports Medicine clinicians can be found doing outreach at many community events and/or organizations. Our massage therapists can be found at many of the local runs doing pre and post event massage. We also speak to different athletic groups thoughout the tricity area. Currently our team of physicians provide medical coverage for the Kitchener Rangers. The University of Guelph Gryphon XCountry and Indoor Track teams receive treatment from our therapists in conjunction with students from CCMH (Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy). Being involved in the community that utilizes our services is an important component to each therapeutic modality at WSM.

WEBSITE ARTICLES AND UPDATES:
Our website gets updated quarterly as to upcoming seminars, articles and athletic events. Be sure to check out our growing gallery of pictures of local athletes and also of our therapists. If you have any questions pertaining to massage and/or its' application to athletics, please contact us at 519 746 2220.