What is sports massage?
Sports massage is a form of massage therapy, however, you don’t need to be a sporty person to benefit from a sports massage. Whether you exercise regularly or not, a sports massage can help relive common aches and pain as well as tight muscles and stiffness. The techniques used in sports massage focus on deeper manipulation of the soft tissues of the body such as muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia. The goal of sports massage is to help improve and correct postural problems as well as preventing future injuries.
How is a sports massage different to a deep tissue massage?
Often these terms are used interchangeably but in essence a sports massage is a deep tissue massage. The therapist uses a deep pressure to relieve tension, muscle tightness and mobilise tissues. If you are playing a sport, the therapist may focus more on the specific muscle groups used for your sport.
What are the benefits of sports massage?
Reduce muscle tension and stiffness
Increase flexibility
Increase range of movements in joints
Relax the ‘flight/ flight’ nervous system
Reduce tension
Improve sense of wellbeing, mood and sleep
Additional benefits of sports massage include:
Reducing DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness)
Improving blood-flow
Reduce scar tissue formation
Improving sports performance
Aiding recovery post exercise and injury
Injury prevention
What conditions is sports massage good for?
Sports massage can offer symptomatic relief for muscle tightness, stiffness, chronic muscle knots (myofascial trigger points), tension, back pain, rotator cuff injuries, sciatica and other aches and pains. If you are playing sport it’s also great for aiding recovery and preventing injury.
How often should I have sports massage?
It really depends on the individual and is usually guided by how you feel physically. If you suffer with tension and muscle tightness, you may book a massage for symptom relief, this maybe a regular sports massage or just when you feel you need some helping hands. If you are playing a sport, you may wish to have regular sports massage for helping injury prevention, improve performance and aid recovery. Again this maybe as frequently as weekly or monthly or as and when you feel you need it.
If I play sport when should I have a massage?
If you play a particular sport the therapist may focus on particular muscle groups that are specific to your activity. Sports Massage can be done prior to or after exercise in order to improve performance, aid recovery and prevent injury. Depending the intensity and frequency you are playing your sport, you may wish to have regular massages as often fortnightly or monthly, other people may only want a massage as and when.
If you are still unsure whether a sports massage is for you, please get in touch and we can answer all your questions.