Ice hockey is a sport that is very involved, and requires a unique combination of power, stamina, and speed. And when you combine power, stamina, and speed –injuries will often follow.
Not every hockey injury requires a trip to the emergency room. In most cases, hockey injuries can be treated by massage therapy from an experienced professional sports massage therapist, and a healthy bout of stretching –both before and after heavy physical activity.
In order to receive the best care, experienced hockey players prefer to receive their sports massage from professionals who understand how an athletic body works, what muscle groups to work on to prevent injuries and how or where common injuries affect hockey players.
This typically means that your average Swedish massage won’t cut it. Athletic bodies need heavy-duty professional massage that is often hard to find in your traditional massage parlour.
Seeking a professional massage at a physiotherapy provider also comes with its own unique benefits. Additional treatment for more serious injuries can be given at the same time, such as bulging discs in the lower back, treatment for dislocated shoulders, and injuries of the hip, wrist, knee, elbow, or high ankle sprain.
Benefits of Professional Sports Massage
Professional sports massage goes far beyond treating hockey industry, and is often a go-to for regular hockey players.
Some of the health benefits of professional sports massage include:
- Increased flexibility to prevent further injuries
- Relief from muscle aches and pains
- Promotes healing of muscle tissue
- Increases relaxation and aids sleeping patterns
- Improves blood circulation
7 Common Ice Hockey Injuries You Can Treat with Professional Sports Massage
There are 7 common hockey injuries that can be treated with professional sports massage therapy, let’s take a look at each of them.
- Back Muscle Pain
Muscle pain of the back is one of the most common types of ice hockey injuries and is treatable with combined expertise of a professional sports massage therapist, a physio, or a sports chiropractor. Without proper treatment, back pain can cause further problems resulting in more injuries of ligaments, joints, and spinal discs.
- Overuse Injuries
Repeated strains and abuse can cause serious injuries that can result in long term pain and damage, sometimes even worse than acute injuries. Examples of overuse injuries include the damage of soft tissue and nerve tissue.
- Pinched Nerve & Sciatica
There are over 100 billion nerve endings in the human body, and you can bet the Stanley Cup you’re more likely to damage or pinch them while shooting a puck around the ice. Soft tissue massage is an excellent treatment for relieving pain associated with a pinched nerve.
Sciatica is usually caused by pressure resulting from a disc that is herniated. While physio is one of the best treatments of sciatica, a professional sports massage can treat less severe symptoms.
- Neck Headache
Common sources of neck headache pain involve joints in your upper neck, muscles within your neck, or nerves. It’s easy to suffer whiplash during a game of ice hockey, and massage is a great way to find relief.
- Thigh Strain
Constant use of thigh muscles during a round of hockey can cause serious pain that can lead to overuse injuries. Massage for thigh strain is a great way to start feeling better.
- Shoulder Pain
Holding a hockey stick and frequently applying pressure to the ice rink with it can wreak havoc on an athlete’s shoulders. Rotator cuff impingements, shoulder bursitis and other sorts of shoulder tendinitis are commonly seen in hockey players and are commonly treated in our sports injury clinic in North York
- ACL Injuries
A common hockey injury is ACL injury which may or may not need ACL reconstruction (surgery). While physiotherapy protocols for ACL focus on regaining knee Range of motion and muscle strength and returning the athlete to their activities of daily life and gradual return to sports, massage therapy treatment is a valuable addition to physiotherapy for ACL rehabilitation.
In Summary
Professional sports massage is a very helpful part of sports injury rehabilitation, or for off days in between your practice or play sessions when you need some extra care and relief.
Whatever your needs, be sure to visit our Contact Us page to see if there’s a clinic in your area where we can serve you!
