If you’ve ever wondered about sports massage then here are some considerations which might help you to decide.
Why should you consider sports massage? It’s not just for athletes – it can benefit all sorts of muscle problems and may be useful for chronic pain. Massage can make you feel great although may sometimes be a bit painful in the immediate term (all for the greater good!).
It is useful…
For maintenance
In the case of active or sporty people, massage can act as a great tonic to keep muscles working optimally. Missing warm-ups before exercise or stretches afterwards leaves muscles short and full of lactic acid. Stiffness (DOMS) will often result. Using different techniques, a therapist can remedy these issues by focusing on trigger points or lengthening tight muscles.
For injury
Massage is not recommended directly after an injury as the body needs time to heal in the immediate aftermath. However, depending on its severity, it can improve recovery times by relaxing areas around the injury and breaking up excess scar tissue. It will also work to reduce imbalances caused by compensation which may have occurred during recovery.
Before an event
In the immediate run-up to an event, sports massage can boost an athlete’s warm-up, getting the muscles enlivened and buzzing, loosening any tightness which might impede optimal movement. This is not the time to resolve injury problems! In the week before, giving muscles a deeper treatment to increase range of movement and deal with tight spots is crucial to avoid injuries and enable best performance on the day.
After an event
Massage can make a huge difference to recovery after an event, reducing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, improving the flushing of lactic acid and even lessening the impact of any minor injuries which occurred during the event.
To treat pain
Depending on what is causing the pain, sports massage may be able to help. Many people tolerate it, and take painkillers when something more ‘hands-on’ might resolve the issue. A tweak in the back when lifting, sitting all day, a twisted knee when walking on uneven ground or perhaps a poor sleeping position may all strain muscles or tendons (connecting bones to muscles) and cause long term pain if not addressed.
How does it work?
Your first session will involve filling in a form then a brief discussion about what you want from the treatment. This will be followed by a postural assessment to look at any problem areas and then the massage itself.
Tailoring
Your sports massage will be tailored to your needs or requests following the discussion and assessment.
Sessions can also be created to target muscle groups specific to individual sports as these vary.
Feel free to get in touch if you would like to find out more.