Benefits Of Sports Massage Therapy
What Is Sports Massage?
Sports massage is a form of massage therapy that uses deep tissue techniques to aid in reducing discomfort, muscular tension, and pain.
While this type of massage is called a sports massage, its application is not restricted to sports participants. Anyone can benefit immensely from this deep tissue massage technique. Importantly, sports massage can be used in practices like Hartwood Health to treat a wide variety of body issues, including:
Headaches,
Joint and muscular injuries, including strains and sprains,
Repetitive strain injuries,
Whiplash,
Postural-induced pain,
Back pain,
Tennis and golfers elbow,
Sport massage techniques combine stretching and compression with fast-paced movements. The therapists will use deep tissue techniques consistently throughout the session. To this end, they will use friction techniques, longitudinal stripping, muscle energy, and tapotement techniques such as active movements, PNF stretching, and trigger point compression.
The variety of techniques used warm up muscles, elevate local blood circulation, and, crucially, reduce tension.
Sports massage therapy treatments are commonplace in the professional sporting world. They are offered before and/or after participating in a sporting event. Additionally, this treatment can be used to treat muscular discomfort, pain, and injuries. The treatment gives a lot of physiological and psychological benefits that will improve the overall health of the recipient.
Top Benefits Of Professional Therapeutic Sports Massage
Massage therapies are known to yield a lot of benefits. In the case of sports massage treatments, you experience and accrue the following specific benefits:
Alleviating muscular discomfort and pain, and muscle tension,
Improving the range of motion, thereby enhancing your performance,
Reducing soreness and muscle stiffness in the immediate aftermath of physical activities,
Increasing the rate of recovery post-injury,
Reduction of psychological and physical stress levels and increasing relaxation, and Improving the quality and quantity of sleep.
These vast majority of these benefits emanate from the increased blood flow to the muscles, which in turn helps to flush out chemical irritants while preventing the build of toxins. Additionally, increased blood circulation increases the amount of oxygen and nutrients the muscle cell get. The net effect is improved muscle repairs and a reduction of muscle tension.
Compression techniques used in sports massage therapies, on the other hand, stimulates the nerve reflexes, inducing a relaxation effect within the muscles.
Tight muscles can irritate the nerve receptors found within your muscles. This results in muscle pain and discomfort, which will affect your performance. Reducing muscular tension can alleviate nerve irritation as well as reduce muscular discomfort and aches.
Another benefit of increased localised blood flow in your muscle is an increase in the range of motion for your joints. This benefit is especially significant for sports participants at all levels. Increasing your range of motion increases your sports performance while negating the risk of injury.
Sports massage is particularly helpful in helping reduce the recovery rate of individuals who engage in sporting and fitness activities. The increase in blood circulation nourishes muscle cells with nutrients and oxygen, both of which are important in recovery.
While it might be a placebo effect, studies have shown that sport massage therapies can help reduce stress and anxiety. Some postulate the reduction of muscular pain and tension play a considerable part in assisting individuals to relax. Eliminating (or decreasing) stress and anxiety can increase your quality of sleep, which in turn improves your overall quality of life.
Sports massage therapies are beneficial and can improve your fitness and sporting performance. For individuals with active lifestyles, the treatment can negate the occurrence of muscular aches and tension associated with engaging in physical activity. Importantly, the procedure can help prevent injuries.