Tendons are the connection between the muscle and bone in our bodies, and tendon fibers are what make up the tendon. The tendons can get injured or disrupted and cause pain and dysfunction termed as “tendonitis” or “tendonosis.” This is common in areas near joints such as the shoulder, elbow, and knee. The term “-itis” implies that there is inflammation or injury, although with tendonitis and tendonosis there may or may not actually be inflammation present.
What Type of Massage Therapy Helps With Tendonitis?
Friction massage is very impactful for these types of conditions and helps to decrease pain and improve function. Friction is a deep and specific technique achieved by rubbing the area in a particular manner in order to create the friction effect. The actual technique may feel deeper than effleurage and sometimes may feel a bit uncomfortable to the client while being performed, however this is short-lived and the overall benefit much outweighs this sensation.
Friction massage is also useful for areas of adhesions in the muscle or if there is scar tissue. Adhesions and scar tissue can form after surgery, after an injury, or even after repetitive stress to a certain area of the body. This technique is often used to break up adhesions or scar tissue. Friction also helps to bring about more healthy tissue and aid healing by realigning tendon fibers.
Friction massage provides relief to these regions as well as prevents excessive build-up of more adhesions or scar tissue. The use of friction massage thus relates to less pain and discomfort, improved healing and circulation, improved range of motion and overall better function for the client!
As always, we recommend you consult with your doctor before scheduling a massage appointment to treat tendonitis.
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