Sports
Massage focuses on muscles used in particular
athletic activities.
Massage techniques are
either preparing the muscles and joints for
athletic activity or helping in recovery from the
stress and strain associated with the sport.
Techniques may be a
combination of deep tissue, swedish, stretches,
trigger point work, or other modalities.
For athletes who train
continuously, the goal is to enhance endurance,
lessen the chance of injury and shorten the time
needed to recover from an event.
Benefits
of Sports Massage
Massage, applied skilfully,
is the most effective therapy for releasing
muscle tension and restoring balance to the
musculo-skeletal system. Received regularly this
may help athletes prevent injuries, which might
otherwise be caused by overuse. A constant
build-up of tension in the muscles from regular
activity may lead to stresses on joints,
ligaments, tendons, as well as the muscles
themselves.
These muscle imbalances may develop and often go
unnoticed until they are serious enough to cause
the athlete discomfort or impede performance. The
skilled massage therapist will be able to detect
variations in the soft tissues and by using the
correct techniques, help the sports person
maintain a much healthier physical state.
Therefore one of the greatest benefits of sports
massage is in helping prevent injury.
Contraindications
for Sports Massage
There are times when sports massage could be
detrimental rather than beneficial to you. The
contra indications to massage are:
A body temperature over 100°F, or feeling unwell
Acute Traumas - Open wounds, recent bruising,
muscle tears, sprained ligaments, contusions,
chilblains, burns
Tumours - Where there is swelling, which is
inconsistent with recent bruising
Diseased blood vessels - Varicose veins,
phlebitis, thrombosis
Cancer
Melanoma
Haemophilia
Infectious skin disease - Bacterial infection,
Lymphangitis, Fungal infection, Viral infections,
Herpes
Where you react adversely to massage treatment
Where your symptoms appear to make advice from a
doctor advisable
Diabetes - not strictly a contraindication but
massage has the same effect as exercise on your
blood sugar levels so you need to have
appropriate medication available