Sport and Remedial Massage Therapy

Sports and remedial massage therapy is appropriate not just for people who engage in sport since we can sustain injury and experience symptoms from a wide range of causes including occupational factors, postural/structural anomalies, emotional and medical factors (pre and post surgery), symptomatic illness and disease and through physical disabilities.

The key differentiation between sports massage therapy and other types of massage treatment is that sports massage therapy involves deep tissue work and a range of techniques which entail the client working with the therapist so the treatment is more active, with less emphasis on relaxation.

Sports Massage for Athletes

Ideally sports massage should be used as an integral part of an athletes training regime. Top level competitors use massage to attain higher levels of performance with a diminished risk of injury.

After a period of hard training there will be an accumulation of waste materials and commonly some micro trauma with the tissues nutritionally depleted and in need of repair. Massage speeds the process of recovery up, allowing athletes to train without needing to assign the same periods of recovery time, increasing the quantity and quality of training and ensuring the athlete trains with greater safety.

Keen sportsmen and women can gauge treatments around their training programme, for example booking in after a long run or competitive event. After a half marathon or marathon for example, the best results can be derived from receiving a treatment at the earliest opportunity to aid recovery and reduce post event discomfort.

Over-use Injury Sports therapy

The most common sports injury is over-use. A sports massage therapist can identify areas of over-use in muscle tissue on palpation as they will feel hard and tense in comparison to the surrounding tissue, often before the injury becomes apparent to the athlete. This acts as an early warning system to allow the athlete to modify their training programme in addition to the application of massage techniques and stretching exercises designed to bring about full function.

Over-use can occur over days, weeks or even years since the central nervous system of the body gets used to and compensates for injury within the body in order to avoid pain. This may occur consciously or subconsciously, for example, where stretching a muscle causes pain, the body will seek to avoid the pain by utilising muscles which are not commonly used or suited for this purpose.

The Benefits of Sports Massage Therapy

Massage improves the circulation, conveying nutrients to the cells and tissues and conveys waste products away into the blood and lymph circulatory system for elimination
Massage speeds the process of recovery up, allowing athletes to attain higher levels of performance without assigning the same periods of recovery time
Identifies and addresses areas of over-use injury, enabling the athlete to modify their training programme before it becomes a problem and interrupts training
Highlights and addresses areas of tension, enabling the athlete to modify their stretching programme
Specific massage techniques can be employed to break down old scar tissues and fibrous adhesions which can impair function/joint movement
Specific stretching techniques can be employed to improve joint range and function

Quite apart from the obvious physical benefits sports massage confers, there are psychological benefits since massage promotes relaxation and wellbeing. In some sports, deep relaxation prior to competing can be beneficial.

The mainstay of sports massage therapy is treating minor soft tissue injuries; aches, sprains and strains which, if left untreated or poorly managed, can develop into chronic conditions.

All muscular-skeletal injuries will have a soft tissue component so massage can have a complementary role to play in treatment. In Finland for example, massage is used in conjunction with orthopaedic treatment to reduce the associated muscular tension, reduce symptomatic pain, prevent secondary problems and accelerate the rate of healing.

Sports massage therapy differs from other forms of massage since in addition to the superficial strokes and deeper petrissage and friction work, it can also incorporate neuromuscular techniques (NMT), muscle energy techniques (MET) and soft tissue release (STR).

Preparation for your Massage

It is preferable to receive sports and massage therapy whilst retaining your underwear and Emma will be happy to explain why this is preferable.

Avoid large or heavy meals prior to your treatment and the use of alcohol and any non essential drugs.

After your treatment

To make the most of your treatment, try to allow yourself time to rest

Drink plenty of water