Sports Massage – 5 Things You Didn’t Know
Sports massage is a therapy which is an effective treatment for muscle soreness and sports injuries. However, not all massage therapy can do this. Sports massage is special because it is done with the aim of having a clinical outcome. Here are the things you may not know about sports massage.
#1 – Sports massage is for everyone
Sports massage is a bit of a minsomer. Many people assume that sports massage is for professional athletes or those who do intense sports. It’s not. Sports massage helps to alleviate tension and stress that accumulates in your body and soft tissues during physical activity. These activity can be anything from sitting 8 hours in front of the computer, jogging once a week, or competing, a sports massage helps drain away fatigue, reduce muscle tension, promote flexibility and overall prepare you for peak performance. It can also help prevent those trivial injuries that get in the way of your performance.
#2 – It is a clinical treatment
The biggest difference between a sports massage and a regular massage is why it is performed. A regular massage aims to give you relaxation and stress relief. However, a sports massage is usually is prescribed to compliment other treatments and it usually has a specific goal. This goal is often pain relief and restoration of normal movement.
#3 – It may involve other modalities
During a sports massage session, your therapist may use different techniques like myofascial release, deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy, or remedial massage. At Elevate Physiotherapy, depending on what the goal is, we may also include treatment with heat therapy, ultrasound therapy or electrotherapy.
#4 – There are long term benefits
As sports massage is a clinical therapy, your therapist does have a plan and a goal that is based on a health outcome. Unlike a session at a spa, your therapist may suggest a recommended frequency which may be part of a larger plan to achieve the medical outcome that we may be seeking. The key is adhering to it.
#5 – There are neurological benefits
The skin is the largest organ of the body. Underneath there are millions and millions nerve endings. Sports massage stimulates these nerve endings from the deep pressure which helps stimulate them. This give the message to the brain and allows us to reduce stress and relax.
As always, we hope this article has been beneficial. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. Watch below for a quick myofascial release video. Follow us on YouTube to get more useful exercises.