Oh My Broken Athlete

Oh my Broken Athlete

Metatarsals Fracture,

Joints become Inflamed

Ligaments Twist,

Muscles get Sprained

I can't run today,

I can't play the game

Oh my broken athlete

Rest well and recover fast,

For you know all too well,

Pains of the body never last

Joyous feelings are near

Around the corner, I see them now

Life is good

Have no fear

You'll be better soon somehow

Alas, the time for running is not now

Let us be happy and enjoy the rest,

Soon enough you'll be at your best

Oh my broken athlete,

Let me tell you a tale

When I think of myself as important and big,

My cup overfloweth, stress with every swig

When I understand I'm small and ever connected,

My perceptions become,

Quickly corrected

You'll run again in short while,

A day, A Month, A Year;

You'll be back soon with a smile

I find athletes to be the most interesting and amazing sub-section of our human race.  Equal parts perspiration, dedication, perseverance and insanity go into making a great athlete.  When they win or complete a personal best, the high they get is better than most drugs.  Just being around their energy can have an amazing effect on you.

The flip side of the athlete high is the injury low.  If the average person hurts themselves they are frustrated but not devastated.  When the athlete hurts themselves, they’re completely devastated. 

Being an athlete, whether amateur, elite or professional, means a dedication and passion for your sport.  Above all else you are an athlete.  When their ability to be “an athlete” is taken away due to injury, they can become extremely depressed and angry.

The upside for the sports massage therapist is you will have a very dedicated and eager client on your table.  The thing you don’t often think about though is working and dealing with their emotions.  I recently had a massage client who is a very dedicated amateur athlete.  She hurt her knee and is unable to do her athletic endeavors for about 2-3 months.  I had a different person on my table than I usually do.  Moody, angry, short and aggressive.  The attitude on the table went from “Do whatever you have to, get me better now!” to “Don’t touch me, I’m in enough pain already, why’d I even book the appointment” and finished with “I’m sorry I got upset on the table, I feel much better now, I just can’t handle not being able to be active for this long”.

She has gotten better with rest, therapy and a few shifts in perspective.  Now she’s back to being active, insane and getting her regular “maintenance” massage sessions.

I just find it interesting how we are called in to work on the body, yet end up working on the emotions and energy as well.  The best advice when working with any client is to not get too close and not take things personally.  They are dealing with their vast amount of emotional and physical holding.  We are helping them to unwind from this closed in space.  It only makes since they would let words go like they let tissue release.

Of course, the ultimate is to revel in the athlete high and withdraw from the injury low.  I have yet to master that one, maybe one day…

Have a Great Day!

-Michael Ames, LMT, Online Massage CEU Provider

www.AdvFundamentals.com