With all the fun in Steamboat to participate in, skiing, trail running, horse-back riding you may be having some trouble with your hamstrings. The hamstrings are a group of three muscles located at the posterior or rear thigh. These muscles play a crucial role in a number of Steamboat activities.
Hamstring injuries can occur when these muscles become tight and then are abruptly stretched beyond their comfortable limit. In some instances the muscles can actually tear and an audible “pop” can be heard.
Massage can be useful in both preventing hamstring injury and aiding in healing already strained hamstrings.
For injury prevention, regular massage helps keep the hamstring muscles healthy by stretching the muscles and releasing tight spots that could lead to future injury.
Once a hamstring has been strained, massage can help loosen scar tissue and tight muscles, stimulate blood flow, and aid in gently stretching the injured muscles.
Though massage can be an invaluable tool in healing, it should not be performed during the most acute stage of the injury when rest is the best approach. Your medical provider, in partnership with your licensed massage therapist can discuss with you an ideal treatment plan to get you back to and keep you at peak performance so you don’t miss a single powder day!