Hard Facts About Soft Tissues for Students at Massage Therapy College
August 04, 2017The aches and pains people pick up throughout their lives are often attributable to their soft tissues. These are the structures that push and pull our bones, and that let people sprint and lift and perform the many tasks they need to do throughout their days. Because they’re so active so much of the time, it’s perhaps unsurprising that soft tissues can get overworked and injured.
Do you want to learn a bit more about soft tissues, their issues, and how massage professionals can help? Here are some of the things you need to know.
After Massage Therapy College, You Will Work With Three Main Kinds of Soft Tissue
Though there are many different kinds of soft tissue, when someone is found to have a soft tissue injury or problem, it will often involve one of the following three kinds of soft tissue: muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Here’s a quick look at what each of these is like:
- Muscles: Are bunches of fibres that contract and lengthen, allowing joints to move and providing important support for the body and anything it is holding or touching.
- Tendons: Are thinner and act as elastics that connect muscles to nearby bones.
- Ligaments: Are made from less flexible tissue, and connect bones to other bones.
When a client goes to a massage therapist seeking help for pain, poor flexibility, swelling, or another discomfort, the problem often lies with one of these tissues being damaged in some way.
Massage Therapists May Help Heal Multiple Types of Soft Tissue Injury
Soft tissues are typically damaged when they are made to stretch too far, and each different tissue has a different name for this kind of injury. Here is a quick look at the terminology associated with different tissues:
- Muscles: Minor injuries are typically called “strains,” and extreme events that result in significant tearing are called “tears.”
- Tendons: Minor injuries are typically called “tendinitis,” and extreme events with significant tearing are called “ruptures.”
- Ligaments: Ligament damage is called a “sprain.” Minor injuries involve the ligament being overstretched, and more serious ones involve partial or complete tearing.
All of these injuries can result in pain, stiffness, a loss of mobility, and other impairments to regular movement and activity. After completing massage therapy college, you may put your expertise to work helping people recover from these kinds of injuries and helping them become more comfortable while recovering. With people increasingly seeking out massage therapy for recovery from injuries, training to be able to provide this service is a great way to enter a secure and lucrative field. Learning to perform massage therapy is a great way to help injured people recover!
Some Soft Tissue Injuries Seen by Massage Therapists Will Need Medical Intervention
While massage therapists can help clients recover from minor as well as many moderate soft tissue injuries, some more serious injuries can require attention by a doctor. Severe tearing can result in grave dysfunction, and leaving it untreated by surgery or other medical techniques can even lead to permanent disability.
Fortunately, proper training can help you tell the difference between minor injuries and the more serious kinds once you become a massage therapist. Valuable hands-on experience in industry-standard treatment setups can help you master the assessment of soft tissue injuries, helping you ensure clients get the attention they need to get better.
Healthcare courses for massage therapy can help you learn all about healing soft tissues.
Enroll at Medix College today to learn the skills you’ll need to help people in pain!