What is Sports Massage?

May 12, 2021

A sports massage is a technique involving the regeneration of soft tissues of the body, such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It is not obligatory to be an athlete or a sports enthusiast to benefit from it. It is used widely to aid the recovery from and avoidance of soft tissue injuries. So, whether it\’s for post-workout recovery or to alleviate everyday stress and boost your overall well-being, sports massage can help with this. Sports massage can include a slow or fast paced massage, stretching, and other hands-on techniques. Sports massage is intended to help with soft tissue injuries and imbalances caused by excessive and strenuous physical exercise and or muscular stress caused by poor or prolonged postures. It can also help to enhance performance of sport or everyday activities.

Sports massages are a great way to recover from your workouts. Sports massage aids the body\’s recovery from exercise-induced stress and supports the body\’s post-workout repair process. A sports massage helps blood and lymph circulation, and Sports massages are also helpful in removing waste products and improved cellular nutrition. Sports massage is an effective therapy for recovering muscles, preventing injury, and preparing the body for potential activity. A sports massage can reduce muscle spasms and metabolic waste build-up that occurs during exercise.

How Does Sports Massage Work?

Sports massage is used to relieve stress and discomfort that can build up in the body\’s soft tissues during exercise. It works by stretching tense muscles and stimulating muscles that aren\’t in use, and enhancing soft tissue health. It helps relieve muscle tension and inflammation after an event and provides a pre-event warm-up to relax muscles for both amateur and professional athletes. When the natural mechanics of blood flow are disrupted by overuse or injury, massage stimulates blood flow or venous return.

The following are some examples of techniques:

Locking and stretching the tissues and muscles which is known as soft tissue release.
Targeting triggering points to relieve pain and tension.
Positional release which is a technique used for calming hyperactive muscles.
Deep, slow kneading is used to loosen the connective tissues around the muscles, a process known as fascial release.

Why Sports Massage?

Massage can help you feel better by releasing endorphins, which can help you feel less pain in your muscles. These endorphins, which are released as a result of this form of massage, help reduce anxiety, improve mood, and pain relief.
Heat is produced in the muscles during a session, allowing the body to relax.
It improves blood supply to the muscle region in the same way as exercise does. The critical difference is that deep tissue massage allows your blood vessels to dilate, allowing more nutrients to pass through, which increases the blood flow throughout the body.
It helps in the elimination of any swelling in the joints.
Boosts circulation and the immune system, allowing the body to recover faster.
Assist in eliminating waste products such as lactic acid and enable the muscles to absorb oxygen and nutrients, allowing them to heal faster.
Increases your range of motion, flexibility, and body power.
It helps in lowering the blood pressure and heart rate.
The release of endorphins in muscles caused by heat promotes general relaxation, lowering anxiety levels.
The massage often involves fast-paced motions and stretches, which can result in a feeling of energization.
Support the nervous system and boost overall health, making it easier for you to recover more rapidly from strenuous exercise.
It helps in getting rid of muscle stress makes it less likely that you\’ll sustain more injuries.
Previous injuries can cause scar tissue to form, which can damage muscles and tendons. Massage can break down scar tissue, which can lead to a higher risk of injury in that region.

Before Sports Massage

Before massage therapy, it\’s not a smart idea to eat a heavy meal or drink alcohol.

Massage can be an effective treatment for some sports injuries, especially muscle injuries. However, it is best to seek advice from a sports medicine doctor before getting a massage when treating an injury. Massage can aggravate ligament and joint injuries that require immobilization and medical attention. Acute infectious disease, aneurysm, heavy swelling, cancer, hernia, high blood pressure, inflammation due to tissue injury, osteoporosis, phlebitis, varicose veins, and certain skin conditions need a consultation a physician prior to receiving a sports massage.

Sports massage is not intended to relax or pamper you; rather, it is intended to help you heal faster from exercise and avoid potential injuries. However, sports massage can leave you feeling tired or result in some post treatment soreness, so take it easy for a while after you treatment.

Techniques Used in Sports Massage

Sports massages feature a variety of techniques such as:

Effleurage:

Effleurage is a form of massage that promotes relaxation, blood flow, and lymph flow. Effleurage improves circulation by increasing muscle temperature and preparing them for more intensive massage techniques. The lymphatic system is also stimulated by effleurage. The lymphatic system helps remove waste products from the body, which aids in the maintenance of health.

Kneading:

Kneading is a massage skill that enables applying pressure to both surface and deeper tissues. It is a technique used to treat tense muscles, improve flexibility, and reduce discomfort. Kneading is also used to elicit a therapeutic reaction, which can help to alleviate stress and anxiety.

Wringing:

Wringing is a basic massage procedure used on large muscle groups. The wringing technique involves lifting the muscle and squeezing it in a forward and backward motion. Depending on the desired result, wringing may be done at various pressure levels. Wringing is a technique for improving muscle condition by removing waste and increasing tissue elasticity.

Hacking:

Hacking is a fast, light gesture that is done with the side of the hands. When the wrists go up and down, the fingertips make contact with the skin. Hacking is a method for reviving sore and exhausted muscles. Hacking works well as part of a pre-event massage to help relax muscles and get them ready for exercise.

Trigger Pointing:

Trigger pointing is a method for alleviating muscular pain from trigger points and muscular knots and releasing muscle tension. Soft tissue trigger points are created by stress on muscle fibres which can be as a result of acute trauma, overuse, or repeated microtrauma. The most effective treatment for inactive trigger points is trigger pointing.

Possible Side Effects of Sports Massage

Since the muscles are not accustomed to being stimulated in this way, massage can occasionally cause some discomfort. If it does, applying ice and gentle stretching to the sore areas will help minimize inflammation and help it settle. It\’s also a good idea to stop strenuous exercise or exertion at this time.
Sore muscles from a sports massage feel similar to those from a workout, but they usually recover within a few days.
Headaches are a rare side effect after deep tissue massage. They tend to be short-lived if they do happen to occur.
One of the effects of a deep tissue massage is removing toxins from the body, which can cause nausea. As a result, massage therapists advise drinking plenty of water and staying away from strenuous activities.

Sports Massage Therapy

From sports medicine facilities to college workout rooms to professional locker rooms to Olympic training, therapeutic sports massages are considered an integral part of the modern athletic routine. A growing number of trainers claim that massage can give athletes who compete in high-performance sports an extra edge. Massage has evolved into an essential component of any full workout. All athletes want to improve their athletic results, but as the intensity of training rises, so does the risk of injury. When an athlete\’s workout schedule increases, their muscles are almost invariably overworked, causing strain and minor tears in the soft muscle tissues.

Some athletes, unfortunately, neglect aches and pains which can in turn invite more severe injuries. This is where sports massage therapy comes in handy for athletes. Reducing muscle stiffness and improving relaxation and well-being are ample reasons to get a massage regularly for any sportsperson. However, as more research into the actual physical benefits of massage becomes available, more athletes will opt for this \’feel-good\’ training process.

Massage after an event can be soothing and relaxing. It aims to relieve muscle pain (by reducing tension), muscle soreness (by dispersing lactic acid), and inflammation (by reducing inflammation). A post-event massage should last no longer than 15 to 20 minutes and be provided through the athletes\’ clothing. Massages after an incident promote the return of blood and oxygen to tight areas.

How to find the right sports massage therapist?

A sports massage therapist helps players at all ability levels condition their muscles. These qualified health and wellness practitioners determine the frequency and types of physical activities that their clients engage in and then apply the appropriate massage techniques to different muscle groups based on that knowledge. Athletes hire sports massage therapists to prepare their bodies for competition. Pro athletes, novice college athletes, and casual athletes will all benefit from sports massage therapy. As will any non sporting individual simply looking to relieve muscle tension from everyday stresses and strains.

Make sure your therapist has the proper qualifications before booking a sports massage appointment.
Consider your massage preferences while looking for the right massage therapist. Such as the kind of environment in which you want to get a massage. Do you want to feel as though you\’re getting a medical procedure or spending a lovely day at the spa?
A good sports massage therapist will not only provide you with a relaxing, soothing massage, but they will also provide you with helpful post-massage treatment advice. This is a crucial part of your care. When you\’re checking out a therapist to see if you\’re a good fit, make sure they give you thorough post-massage treatment instructions.
Remember that you may need more than one session depending on your physical / sport regime. Many people have regular maintenance sessions to keep them feeling at their best