Sir:
Becca makes a great deal of sense with regard to muscle recovery. It is also my humble opinion, that massage is an essential component in physical therapy for major injuries and for those preppers, such as myself, who suffer from partial disabilities involving muscle issues that are resultant from nerve damage, neuropathy, and other deep tissue injuries. As an example, I have had everything from vertebra L3 down to vertebra S1 surgically fused. While such a fusion, in and of itself, is not considered completely disabling; if you take into account the resulting damage of lesser nerves by the surgery, the eventual deterioration of the neighboring discs, and the resulting loss of the ability to coordinate the muscles involved after the nerves get damaged, the combination is very much considered a structural disability of a permanent nature. This is to say, using myself as the example, I can still do a good number of things I used to; however, as we all are painfully aware, can and should are two entirely different critters. Thus someone with my type of disability can help cut firewood, manipulate bales, and other such things, though they may not be able to actually lift much, but will pay for such activity with secondary effects, such as mass muscle spasm, which will have them bed bound for several days afterward depending on the severity of the individual’s condition, and whether or not they still have meds for it. (Assuming, of course, that said person is not already standing security watch or radio watch for the more physically capable)
The standard heat and cold wrap treatments will not help an iota with deep muscle spasm, though they’re great for the swelling. Heat and massage, however, will. Another thought, strange as it will no doubt sound, is acupressure combined with massage. This will, in turn, help that person to be able to get back on with business quicker than they otherwise might, in a world without the usual meds like Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine) and other relaxants. I cannot count the number of times a proper therapeutic massage would have had me on my feet in a day, after pushing too hard, as opposed to several days spent medicated and essentially immobile because the lower back was locked up with spasms. In a world where the heavy meds are scarce or gone, therapeutic massage could very well end up being the only means of dealing with such things effectively.
Just my two cents on the idea of therapeutic massage as part of one’s medical arsenal, and food for thought from the perspective of a prepper intimately acquainted with the need for such treatments.
Semper Fi, – J.H.