What is Sports Massage?
Sports Massage is designed to relieve the stress and tension which builds up in the body’s muscles during physical activity and/or exercise. Aches, pain and even injuries can occur when overexerted and overused in the musculoskeletal system. Sports Massage is ideal and essentially necessary for these conditions
Sports Massage is more of a preventative and maintenance treatment to help those straining aches and niggles disappear, so you can perform and achieve your best whilst training or exercising.
Anyone can benefit from Sports Massage, you do not have to be a sports enthusiast. People in physically or mentally demanding jobs or lives including people with poor postures, emotionally stressed etc can all benefit.
Sports Massage tends to be a strong deep pressure treatment, which helps relieve muscular adhesions and tension to mobilise muscles and becoming pain and injury free.
Sports Massage incorporates techniques such as stretching, PNF, NMT, compression and trigger point release.
Benefits and Effects
Maintenance Massage:
Regular massage treatments are for those in training and exercise routines that require frequent sessions to prevent injuries, muscle strains and tension of the musculoskeletal system. This is ongoing and tailor made to the individual to cater to their needs and the focus is on the muscles and joints used in their chosen activity or exercise routine. Sports Massage is therefore used help the individual maintain and/or improve range of movement and increase flexibility.
Pre & Post Event Massage:
Before (Pre Event) and After (Post Event) Sports Massage are designed and tailored for specific events such as marathons, triathlons etc .
Pre-event Sports Massage is used alongside the individual’s training routine and is used as a preventative measure so there is no muscle aches or injuries developing as training increases.
Post-event Sports Massage is often a less deeper massage focusing on stretching and gentle massage strokes to help the muscles to return to their normal state particularly after a strenuous event preventing DOMS Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. This treatment is for the individual’s body to recover quickly so they can return to training and compete again.
Rehabilitation:
Muscle cramps, tears, bruises, and aches can still happen however Sports Massage can speed up healing and reduce discomfort during the rehabilitation process.
Sports Massage techniques are effective in the management of both acute and chronic injuries. This can also reduce spasms and pain in the affected muscles and other areas connected to the body.
In all cases, Sports Massage techniques are employed in collaboration with other appropriate medical care professionals such as Physiotherapists, Osteopaths etc
