Sports Massage: What are the Benefits?

30 Nov Sports Massage: What are the Benefits?

Massage is a longstanding therapeutic technique that is used for treating aches and pain in the body. There are different options, techniques and levels of pressure used in massage, to target the different muscles, tendons and ligaments.

A sports massage is different from the traditional “spa massage” as it is intended to help athletes before, during and after training. It increases flexibility, helps to prevent injuries and aids the healing after a sports injury. This massage can be tailored to different sports and sporting injuries. It is not a relaxing form of massage and can often be quite strenuous. The massage therapist will focus on stretching tight muscles, stimulating inactive muscles and improving the condition of the soft tissue with the aim of increasing endurance, overall performance, injury prevention, and reducing recovery time after an injury.

You do not have to be an athlete or sporty person to have a sports massage; there are various benefits of a sports massage which can have a positive effect on your overall wellbeing. These include:

• Improved flexibility, as the massage relaxes your muscles to increase its flexibility, which will ultimately improve your overall performance.
• Improves the supply of oxygen and nutrients to affected areas, because massage improves circulation, it also enhances the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles.
• Helps to eliminate by-products from the muscles. When exercising, lactic carbonic acids build up in the muscle tissue. When the muscles contract during exercise, these acids produce waste which can lead to muscle stiffness.
• The acid wastes cause irritation to the muscles. Improved circulation from a massage can help to eliminate the waste products. Drinking water after massage will also help to eliminate these products completely.
• A sports massage can be used to reduce pain. The increased circulation and blood flow can help to reduce pain and tension that is caused by inflammation in the affected areas.
• A massage can also be used to reduce muscle fatigue and swelling.
• Having a sports massage regularly may prevent serious injuries from occurring.

Sports massage does not have a specific technique. The treatment will depend on the client’s training, age, fitness level, and the nature and condition of their injury.  The treatment is adapted from other techniques used in physiotherapy and osteopathy.

These techniques include:

• Soft tissue release: the locking and stretching of the tissues and muscles.
• Neuromuscular technique: targeting trigger points in the nervous system to relieve pain and tension.
• Positional release:  used to relax hyperactive muscles, and
• Fascial release: the deep, slow kneading used to release the connective tissues around the muscles.

Before booking a sports massage session, you should talk to a health professional first. Although sports massage is safe to use after an injury, there are certain injuries for which the massage is unsuitable.

Osteopathy takes a holistic approach to treating musculoskeletal ailments. It can be used to diagnose, treat and prevent MSK conditions. Osteopathy is a complimentary form of treatment that can be used alongside other forms such as physiotherapy.

At OsteoVision, our practitioners are trained to treat a wide range of conditions. Please contact us if you would like to discuss your injury or symptoms, would like to book an appointment, or require more information about the massages that we offer.

Call:  03303 904 300  

Email:  info@osteovision.life

You can also book an appointment online at www.osteovision.life