Sports Massage
What is sports massage?
Sports massage is a type of massage therapy. It involves the manipulation of soft tissues in the body. Soft tissues include muscles, skin, fascia and ligaments. They are connective tissues not hardened into cartilage and bone.
Sports massage therapists use a range of techniques to correct problems and imbalances in soft tissues caused by strenuous and repetitive physical activity. The use of sports massage before and after exercise improves performance, recovery and prevents injury.
Many athletes believe that a comprehensive training programme should include regular massage. Each sport uses muscle groups in different ways. Your sports massage therapist should have a robust knowledge of skeletal and muscular systems to tailor treatment to your needs. It is usually supplemented by other massage styles such as deep tissue, Swedish massage, myotherapy and lymphatic massage.
Technique
This refers to the sports therapy technique used. It could include vibration, pettrisage, shaking, broadening strokes, compression, direct pressure, stretching and cross-fibre friction. There are several types of sports massage. It’s important to know which massage would benefit you before settling for it.
Intent
This is the reason for sports massage. It could be to increase blood flow, aid recovery from fatigue, stimulate neurological pathways, improve strength, increase flexibility or improve posture.
A recent study published by Oxford University in May 2016 suggests that massage therapy is ideal for pain management. Another research at McMaster University stated that massage after an intense workout causes the muscles to grow new mitochondria (the cells responsible for converting nutrients into energy).
Professional sports teams employ massage therapists. Many footballers enjoyed a long career because they invested in massage therapies. Examples include Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo and Cristiano Ronaldo. The latter is 33 years old and still playing some of the best football in the world.
Sports massage helps to prevent injury when administered after a training session. Here are a few research findings listing the benefits of massage therapy by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Massage therapy helps to:
Types of Sports Massage?
Effleurage
Effleurage is a form of massage that involves stroking movements. The therapist uses this technique at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of other techniques during massage therapy. Varying pressure and speed of stroke may be applied based on the stage and purpose of the massage.