What is sports massage?
Sports massage is a therapeutic massage devised with the athlete or practitioner in mind.
While most other types of massage can be categorized simply as relaxation, they design sports massage for additional purposes, including preventing and treating sports-related injuries and enhancing performance in a sporting activity.
What are the types of sports massage?
Sports massage uses techniques to improve muscle function during sports, prevent injuries, and help manage injuries. An MB Massage Therapist, physiotherapist, or sports massage therapist should conduct it.
Recall that various forms of sports massage exist, each of which has its advantages. Some common types of sports massage include:
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- Pre-Competition Massage: This type of massage is given before any sporting activity to prepare the body for that task. Warm post-competition massage helps increase blood flow, decrease muscle contraction, relieve Pain, and enhance flexibility.
- Post-Competition Massage: This kind of massage is given after a sporting activity to ease the body pains from the exercise. Post-competition massage assists in easing distress symptoms such as muscle soreness and aids in circulation and recovery.
- Maintenance massage: is first performed to preserve good physical shape and prevent injuries. It assists in increasing flexibility, muscle power, and joint flexibility.
- Pre-Competition Massage: This type of massage is given before any sporting activity to prepare the body for that task. Warm post-competition massage helps increase blood flow, decrease muscle contraction, relieve Pain, and enhance flexibility.
Sports massage can complement a training regime used in Sports. It can also enhance sports performance, prevent injuries, and treat injuries. If you are an athlete, we suggest you consult a sports therapist who can explain everything you need to know about sports massage and thus help you decide whether to go for it.
Sports massage techniques
There are different types of massage techniques; each used depending on the special needs of the sportsman or physically active individual. Each method has a specific purpose and is used to achieve different objectives.
Here are some of the most common techniques used:
Kneading (Petrissage)
It involves rubbing the muscles and connective tissues of the body using jerking, squeezing and twisting actions.
It enhances blood and lymph flow, helps release muscle contraction, and enhances tissue extensibility.
Friction
It uses quick and deep movements with the fingers or thumb directed at the muscle fibres or tendons.
It helps increase circulation, reduce stiffness in specific areas, and improve mobility.
Percussion (Tapotement)
It consists of rhythmic and rapid blows applied with the hand, the edge of the hand or the fist.
It stimulates circulation and neuromuscular tension, tone muscles and release surface tension.
Compression
This includes using a firm, pounding pressure on the muscle with the palms or fingers of the hand.
It helps to improve circulation, deliver more oxygen and nutrients to muscles, prevent cramps and tension, and make muscles more receptive to physical exercise.
Vibration
It comprises short oscillatory motions performed with hands on the muscles to generate a tremor sensation.
A rub soothes aches in the human body, enhances the flow of blood and fluids, enhances the function of the lymphatic system, and decreases tension and stress in muscle stages.
Passive stretching
In this case, the therapist applies specific movements to the patient's muscles without effort.
They are more effective than any exercise in helping one enhance flexibility and expand joint movements.
Myofascial release
A light, continuous pull is applied to the fascial material to nullify the adhesions and enhance the glides.
For pain and tension relief in the musculoskeletal system, focus on increasing muscle elasticity, overcoming joint restrictions, and releasing interfacial scar tissue.
Deep Transverse Massage (Cyriax)
It delivers deep and oblique pressure on muscles, tendons and ligaments.
It is required to improve blood flow to the affected area and enhance the injury-healing process.
Trigger point technique
It aims to increase understanding of the places where stress develops, how it irritates other parts of the body, and how symptoms manifest there.
In Chronic Pain, massage increases a muscle's ability to function and releases tension within a specific point known as a tender or trigger point.
Manual lymphatic drainage
Apply gentle, rhythmic movements to encourage fluid drainage and support the lymphatic system.
Reduce inflammation and oedema, improve toxin elimination and promote post-workout recovery.
Knee Massage
Knee massage is a promising therapy practitioner can recommend for treating disorders that cause Pain, tight muscles, or stiffness in the knee joint. It could benefit any sportsman with a sports injury requiring physical therapy and any common individual with knee discomfort. A qualified sports massage therapist manipulates the muscles and tissue of the tight muscles, contracting and relaxing them and enhancing the circulation of the bloodstream in the muscles to enhance the healing process.
Benefits of Knee Massage:
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- It reduces inflammation and swelling.
- Relieves Pain caused by overuse or injury of the knee
- Help range of motion flexibility.
- As it helps to increase circulation, it facilitates faster recovery.
Back Massage
Self-administered back massage offers a cure for tension, Pain, and stiffness associated with the back and, therefore, acts as a promising treatment for any back problem. Whether you've strained your muscles due to a demanding workout or suffer from chronic back pain, you can always benefit from going to a skilled sports massage therapist.
Benefits of Back Massage:
1. The therapist eases muscle tightness and Pain
2. Relieving stress and relaxing
3. Posture and spinal alignment have improved
4. Improves blood circulation for faster recovery
Benefits of Sports Massage
Sports massage provides various benefits for both athletes and non-athletes, such as:
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- Enhance Sports Performance: Sports massage can help improve sports performance by increasing blood circulation, reducing muscle pain and tension, and improving flexibility.
- Injury prevention: Sports massage helps prevent injuries by boosting muscle strength, flexibility, and coordination.
- Treatment of injuries: Sports massages can help treat existing injuries by reducing muscle soreness, improving blood circulation and speeding up healing.
- Stress and anxiety reduction: Sports massage reduces stress and anxiety by promoting relaxation and enhancing well-being.
- Post-exercise recovery: After an intense training or competition session, this massage helps remove lactic acid build-up in the muscles, reducing fatigue and muscle soreness.
What to expect in a sports massage therapy session?
Before your sports massage session, your massage therapist will discuss your goals and any injuries or pain you may be experiencing. Then, he will ask you to undress and cover yourself with a towel or sheet.
During the session, your masseuse will apply pressure and specific movements to your muscles and tissues. This may initially be a slightly uncomfortable experience, but you should feel relaxed and relaxed as the session progresses. Your massage therapist may ask you to do specific movements or stretches during the session to help relieve tension.
After your session, you may experience some soreness or tenderness in the treated area, but this should go away within a few days. Therefore, drinking plenty of water after a sports massage session is essential to help flush out toxins and improve recovery.
How to find a good sports therapist?
If you're looking for a sports massage therapist, finding someone with experience and specialized training is essential. Here are some tips for finding a good sports massage therapist:
1. You take recommendations from your friends or fellow athletes.
2. Check massage therapist certification and training
3. Search Google for "sports massage therapist" and see the results, read online reviews, and check references.
4. Ensure the massage therapist focuses on injury prevention and performance enhancement.
Conclusion
Sports massage is a valuable and versatile therapy modality for active people of all ages. It is a tailored technique whether you want to enhance your performance, prevent an injury, or recover well. Under the guidance of a qualified sports massage therapist, you can reap the full advantage of this therapy and keep yourself in good physical shape and top-notch performance.