Sports Massage
With Athletes constantly pushing themselves to improve performance they must also be aware of the micro trauma caused to their muscles with intense training i.e. muscle contractions, relaxation creates motion.
This can create problems and imbalances of the soft tissues which can lead to muscle tightness, pain and decreased performance, possibly causing injury.
Massage by a ‘skilled’ therapist can detect variations in an athlete’s soft tissue and with correct massage techniques returning the tissue to a much healthier state, thereby decreasing the risk to performance or injury.
It can be carried out before a sporting event in order to increase circulation to a particular area, warming it up, calms nervous tension preparing the individual for optimal performance whilst also decreasing the chance off injury.
After a sporting event efflurage can help with the drainage of lactic acid and other waste products in the muscles, which will help to reduce the ‘DOMS’ associated with hard exercise.
It can also be very beneficial during the sporting season to ‘freshen up’ the muscles, breaking up an ‘knots’ and preventing ‘Bad Muscle’ tension from developing into a problem/injury.
Sports Massage can range from relaxing and soothing effleurage to quick and vigorous and deep which can cause discomfort over tender areas so it is important you discuss timing off massage in relation to sporting events/training so the depth of massage can be appropriate to achiever the maximum benefit.
Sports massage should be avoided if you have any open wounds, muscle tears, sprained ligaments or burns, thrombosis, cancer, tumours, melanoma or haemophilia.
This therapy is also unsuitable for anyone with infections skin disease or fungal infections. People with diabetes should be aware sports massage can have the same effect as exercise.
