Although Sports Massage Therapy is an essential part of elite sportsmen’s regime, it also has endless benefits for recreational athletes, and gym users!

What can sports massage do for me?

1. Massage maintains the body in generally better condition.
2. Massage helps prevent injury and loss of mobility.
3. Massage helps restore mobility to injured muscle tissue.
4. Massage may boost performance.
5. Massage is excellent for reducing back pain and general relaxation.
6. Massage may extend the overall life of your sporting career.

How is sports massage different from other types of therapeutic massage?

- The basic techniques in sports massage can be the same as the basic techniques in any other forms of therapeutic massage.

- In sports massage the therapist may apply the techniques more firmly and deeper than a general massage therapist might.

- The sports massage therapist may also make more use for frictioning techniques which involves applying deep pressure to tissues repeatedly to break down adhesions (sticky bits on tendons) and soften scar tissue.

- Some sports massage techniques are designed to reduce an injury back to its acute stage in order to trigger the body’s natural healing response.

Does sports massage therapy hurt?

- Some forms of massage are very superficial, which can be very relaxing, particularly when applied with aromatherapy oils.

- A sports massage needs to be applied deeper to manipulate muscle tissue more effectively. This can induce a deeper relaxation although at the time some techniques (not all) may border on the uncomfortable.

- However, the important point is massage should not be so painful that it causes the patient to tighten up or tense with pain. Some techniques need to be applied deeply (requiring a therapist with strong thumbs) but not so deep that the muscles tense up.

The benefits of sports massage occur in 3 important ways; physical physiological and psychological.

Physical effects of massage are:

- Deep massage causes the pores in tissue membranes to open, enabling fluids and nutrients to pass through enabling removal of waste products such as lactic acid

- Deep massage encourages the muscles to take up oxygen and nutrients which promote faster healing - Sports massage stretches muscles to release tension or stress caused due to excess physical activity - Sports massage helps break down scar tissues which usually affect the muscle, tendons and ligaments which impair performance

- Sports massage helps improve elasticity of tissues.

Physiological effects of sports massage are:

- Sports massage helps reduce pain

- Muscles are relaxed after a sports massage

Psychological effects of sports massage include:

- Reduced levels of anxiety and stress caused due to relaxed muscles and nerves

- Sports massage stimulates a sense of well being and peace