Sports Massage Therapy
A sports massage is advisable for those who are suffering with general fatigue or muscle and joint pain such as tight calves or shoulders.
In our sessions, we aim to focus on a specific region to allow for a proper change in muscle tone. For those struggling with longer term pain or discomfort, we advise a Sports Therapy & Injury Rehabilitation appointment.
What is sports massage therapy?
Sports massage therapy is a treatment focused on a certain part of your body with the aim to provide quick pain relief and increase motion in joints and muscles. Using the appropriate techniques, we target the area you specify to us to help prevent future injury or strain, as well as promote performance enhancement.
Types of sports massage techniques
To achieve the best relief for you, we use a range of techniques. These may include:
Soft Tissue Massage - Using a range of pressures and depths to ease aches and pains.
Deep Tissue Massage - Using slow and deep motions with sustained pressure to target deeper muscles and connective tissues.
Myofascial Release - Gentle massage and stretching to relieve pain and tightness in the myofascial layer of soft tissue between your muscles and skin.
Cupping Therapy - Heated cups are applied to the skin to draw blood to or from specific bodily areas to improve circulation and provide pain relief.
Muscle Energy Techniques - Applying resistance to your muscle contractions to increase range of motion and relieve pain.
Stretching - Guided and assisted stretching around problem areas to relieve muscle tension and increase flexibility.
How a sports massage can help you
A sports massage can help by relieving pain in specific areas, as well as encouraging faster recovery and increased range of motion. Our expert therapists will work with you to determine what problems you are experiencing and the best methods to amend them.
Sports massage techniques also help to prevent future injury as they condition your muscles and joints to deal with activity and increased movement. Methods such as muscle energy and stretching also encourage communication between the brain and the body, especially in areas that have become disused through injury.
What injuries can sports massages help with
Sports massages can help with many different injuries and problems. Primarily, sports massage therapy is ideal, as this treatment often focuses on massaging areas to soothe pain, for:
Muscle injuries
Ligament injuries
Tendon injuries
They can also help with repetitive strain injuries, such as:
Tennis elbow
Golfer’s elbow
Runner’s knee, and more.
Issues like these, which are caused by repeated use of a joint or ligament, benefit massively from increased circulation; one thing our massages can enhance.
Sports massages can also help with rehabilitation before or after surgery. Following an injury, surgery or trauma the body produces a healing response that may include collagen alignment to effectively stitch the torn fibres back together. Without the manual assistance of soft tissue therapies the alignment may not be smooth, and result in excessive scar tissue and restriction of movement.
The benefits of sports massage therapy
Sports massage benefits can be both physical and mental. Of course, we aim to ease physical pain, promote healing and improve your mobility, but many people also find sports massages to be a great form of relaxation. Physical and mental discomfort are often more closely linked than people realise, so use your sports massage therapy as a way to unwind as well as pain relief.
Our massages reverse or ease the effects of muscle pains and strains, aid in injury prevention and enhance performance in future physical activity. Sports massages also decrease stress hormones, which can lead to improved mental health, sleep and productivity.