Self massage can be an incredible benefit for a range of different individuals. If you’re an athlete who has suffered from chronic injury or pain, then massage therapy can help bolster your chances of speedy rehabilitation. Similarly, for individuals who are simply trying to maintain an elevated level of health, it’s reasonable to assume massage may help prevent injuries from occurring in the first place. While pairing self massage with a healthy diet, regimented exercise routine and regular stretching is beneficial, it’s good to know when you should enlist a professional. Typically, this will occur after you’ve exhausted the sort of home treatments that you can offer yourself. With that in mind, take a look at these tips and points regarding when to consult a massage therapist.

Chronic Pain

If you find you have a repeating injury, it may be something that simply can’t be treated through home massage. While it isn’t unusual to experience the same injury several times over if you resume physical activity too quickly, this can also be indicative of something less benign. If you find that you’re in chronic pain in one area of your body, try home massage and resting from your normal exercise routine for several weeks. If the pain persists, you may want to try to seek help from a professional massage therapist. These individuals have the capacity to help you in ways that you may not be able to provide for yourself.

Limited Mobility

Obviously, it’s natural to experience some degree of limited mobility from injury. Even if you aren’t injured, a particularly rigorous workout can lead to swelling that may temporarily limit your mobility. If this sort of problem persists for more than a few days, though, it may be time to pursue the services of a professional massage therapist. Again, it’s best to be prudent in these situations by practicing home massage on yourself for a few days and seeing if this alleviates or lessens your symptoms at all. If it doesn’t, though, it’s probably necessary to go and seek the help of a professional. As Thera-Ssage notes, these individuals have training in not only the anatomy of the body, but also kinesiology, meaning that they can help restore normal capacity for movement to the affected areas of your body.

Coping Emotionally

While massage is typically thought of as a predominantly physical remedy, its benefits can actually extend far beyond that. For example, Medicine Net has reported that massage is an effective treatment for many individuals suffering from various forms of depression. While self massage can help you deal with injury, individuals suffering from depression may benefit from the human aspect of massage therapy. Speak with your therapist or doctor to determine if this is a good step for you.