Sports Massage – Pain Management Thats’ Not Just for Athletes
How does Sports Massage Improve Athletic Performance?
Sports massage is very popular in the sports community due to it’s versatility and success. During training season consistent massage helps your body adapt to building new muscle tissue and the stress of competition. Not to mention it is a pleasurable form of pain management. If you want to take your training to the next level add massage to your training schedule and see the impact on your ability to perform and feel the ease of muscle recovery.
Pre-Event Massage
Prior to competition sports massage is often used to improve an athlete’s performance. This type of session is quicker paced and more stimulating to the muscles to increase speed and flexibility. Often this type of massage is done on-site just before the sports event.
Post-Event Massage
Post event sports massage is all about helping the body recover more quickly from the strenuous event. This reduces body pain and flushes the bodies natural toxic waste, such as lactic acid, post competition.
The process of sports massage primarily emphasizes prevention and healing of injuries to the muscles and tendons. Good hydration, nutrition, Epsom salts baths and stretching go miles in aiding this process as well.
But you don’t have to be and athlete to receive benefit from sports massage!
Sports massage is no longer just for extreme runners, cyclists and those doing triathlons. It is also great for people with chronic pain, limited or restricted range of motion and general bodily injuries. Your therapist will first ask questions to assess the level of injury and pain. Then utilize techniques to address your individual needs. They may concentrate on a specific problem area that you present or another zone of your body that is contributing to the imbalance. This type of approach is great for someone with a chronic pain condition or for someone suffering with an old injury perhaps from a sports activity, such as running, tennis, racquetball or golf.
As with all specialties in the field of massage be sure to utilize a therapist that has the proper training to address sports massage and chronic pain conditions from injuries. Ask what type of massage they offer. For most injuries you will want to work with a therapist adept at Myofascial Release, deep tissue massage and other pain management modalities. At The Therapy House you can be confident that ALL of our therapists have this training and more.
