OK this is tough to admit, but until I reached my 30s I never worried about pulled muscles and stiffness. I mainly got massages at The Wellness Center for stress relief, even though we specialize in Denver sports massage.
Well today, now 35 is a totally different story. I find I have to stretch every day or I start getting stiff and if I don’t stretch throughout a workout, then I am almost positive to pull something.
Just recently I started playing ultimate frisbee, with my boyfriend who is a die hard frisbee player. Just last weekend after many dives, jumps and collisions he was forced to stop because he was in so much pain.
He was as stiff as a board and in a lot of pain. Here is what what you should do right after you experience an acute injury or pulled muscle:
#1 Immediately after an acute injury or pulling a muscle, ice and elevate the area follow the good ol’ RICE acronym (REST, ICE, COMPRESSION, ELEVATION).
#2 Get Acupuncture, Acupuncture is great right after you injury yourself (within 48 hours).
#3 Get some Arnica, you can either apply it topically or take it orally. Either is great post injury and if you have any bruising (available at any local health foods store).
#4 After a few days of ice, rest and elevation the inflammation should be down and getting a massage (3-4 days after the injury) would be a good idea to break up the muscle tissue and get you back into tip top shape. Not everyone all Massage Therapists are the same, to do the most effective Denver sports massage requires an additional skill level that not all Massage Therapists have. Call us today and we will get you in with the appropriate therapist for your specific needs.
My next blog will be on sports massage and sports injury.