Sport Massage and it's benefits
What is Sports Massage?
Sports Massage is a specific type of massage which is generally given before, during, and after sport events to help prepare the athlete for best performance, to relax the nerves and prevent injuries.
An athlete, before a performance, is under immense stress emotionally and physically and consequentely body is also prone to injuries. Practices before the event lead to constant build-up of tension in the muscles and cause stress on joints, ligaments, tendons, as well as the muscles themselves.
Sports massage is the answer to emotional and physical well being for an athlete before, after and during a performance.
Sports Massage works deep to eliminate toxins embedded in muscle fibers, remove adhesions, and minimize scar tissue buildup. Muscle lengthening in sports massage helps restore a range of motion and flexibility it can also leads to improved circulation, greater elasticity of muscle fiber, and reduced recovery time.
Purpose of Sports Massage?
Sports massage therapy help alleviate the stress and tension which builds up in the body’s soft tissues during physical activity.
Sport massage help prepare the athlete for peak performance,
drain away fatigue,
reduce muscle tension,
promote flexibility
prevent injuries.
Sports massage can help prevent those niggling injuries that get in the way of performance and achievement, whether a person is an athlete or a casual jogger.
Techniques
Depending on the needs of the athlete, a variety of techniques are used.
Sport Massage involves a blend of traditional Swedish Massage and Shiatsu, Deep Tissue Massage and Soft Tissue Release specifically designed to treat professional athletes, techniques also used may include Classic Swedish strokes, Cross-fiber friction, Trigger and Pressure-point work, Joint mobilization.
There are three main techniques of massage frequently used in sport, namely effleurage, petrissage and frictions. Most of the massage techniques ensure the main pressure is directed towards the heart to increase the venous and lymphatic flow. The strokes also ensure that excess pressure does not cause any damage to blood vessels. While effleurage is a preparatory background stroke, petrissage allows detail work on the body in releasing tension followed by friction
Each type of sport has different demands on the athletes. Each sport uses muscle groups in a different way. Sports massage is designed to address those specific concerns and may differ according to the sport the athlete plays. Sports massage can be aimed to help heal strained muscles and allow healthy ones to reach peak performance and maintain it while minimizing the risk of injury.
Benefits of Sports Massage?
Sports massage has many benefits,
sports massage reduces the heart rate and blood pressure,
increases blood circulation and lymph flow,
reduces muscle tension,
improves flexibility,
relieves pain.
Prevention of Injuries
.
The benefits of sports massage impact the physical, physiological and psychological levels.
A state of well being is achieved only when all the three aspects are in balance.
Types of Sports Massage
Sports massage therapy includes pre-event, post-event, maintenance and rehabilitation techniques that promote greater athletic endurance and performance, reduced chances of injury and faster healing.
Pre-Event
Pre-Event sports massage helps warm up the muscles by stretching them and making them flexible for optimal athletic performance. A pre-event massage also stimulates the flow of blood and nutrients to the muscle, reduces muscle tension, loosen the muscles and produce a feeling of psychological readiness. A pre -event massage is best done up to two days prior to the main event.
Post-Event
Post- event massage focuses on relieving muscle soreness, minimizing the effects of fatigue and reducing the stress levels in the body. It also helps reduce swelling, maintain flexibility, promote blood flow to the muscle to remove lactic acid and waste build-up and reduce cramping. This also helps faster healing.
Prevention and Maintenance
This is more of a maintenance massage which can be done at least once a week as a regular part of athletic training programs. Preventive massage increases the flow of blood and nutrients to the muscle and helps repair small tears due to strenuous physical activity. It also keeps tissue loose so that different layers of muscle slide over each other.
Rehabilitation
Sports massage is also used as a last resort in the event of injury. Sports massage helps rehabilitate by minimizing the adverse effects of scar tissue and adhesions caused to the athlete and helps regain lost flexibility and strength.
Although sports massage is aimed at people who regularly push their bodies through strenuous exercise, it can benefit the everyday person. If you're running around with small children all the time, or you have a physically demanding job, a regular sports massage may help you. Sports massage is often prescribed by doctors to treat back or muscle-strain or as part of a rehabilitation programe for people who've had an injury.
Recc. Links:
Sport/Deep Tissue Massage Clinic Swords Co.Dublin
