Our remedial sports massage therapist Piia Laakso gets into why a foot massage can hugely benefit our bodies:
The foot is meant to be responsive and adaptable. We can loose the natural balance and flexibility in our feet after injury, over exercise, walking or running only on flat hard surfaces or by using ill-fitting footwear. Our walking patterns, the small tilts and rotations are closely linked to the hip and knee. They all need to work as a close team to enable the motion of walking.
Massage of the foot is especially important for people who are on their feet all day. Those who do a lot of road running or have recently taken up running or a new sport like climbing for example.
The common foot problems relate to the achilles tendon or the sole of the foot, plantar fascia. Both need to function effectively in order to the foot to open during gait and for a correct and balanced body positioning during walking or running.
The massage itself involves relatively slow pace techniques influencing soft tissue imbalances and possible weakness issues in the muscles that control the foot during gait. This focused work can feel deeply relaxing and reveal a lot of information about the state of the foot. For example, there might be shortness in the fascia or tension in the connective tissue of the sole of the foot. The achilles tendon can feel rigid linking to tight calf muscles.
Movement and twisting techniques encourage soft tissue opening and creates space between the small joints in the foot. Mobilisation of the ankle joint can be beneficial to improve proprioception after an ankle injury and neuromuscular technique or trigger point release has been found effective in reducing deep tension. Static holds between the metatarsals on the top of the foot can release tension in the forefoot and help the foot spread more evenly in standing.
Happy feet that are flexible and responsive are said to enhance our overall posture.
You can book in with Piia on Tuesdays for:
Pregnancy massage
Holistic massage
Deep tissue / remedial sports massage
For help on which appointment type is best for you, please contact Piia directly at piiamassage@gmail.com. You can also book directly via the button below: