SPORTS MASSAGE THERAPY: VISIT A SPORTS MASSAGE THERAPIST TODAY
Sydney therapists agree that sports massage therapy should play an important part in the life of any sportsperson whether they have a sports injury or not. Massage offers both physiological and psychological benefits that will help prevent and relieve pain, heal injuries, and improve the health of athletes. Our expert therapists will support you on your journey of health and healing.
Sports massage therapy can help maintain the body in a generally better condition, prevent injuries and loss of mobility, along with restoring mobility to injured muscle tissues, boosting performance, and extending the overall life of your sports career.
Keep reading to learn about the additional benefits of sports massage and how you can book an appointment at our clinic. We will also discuss the difference between sports massage and remedial massage so that you can determine which type of therapy will be the most beneficial to your body.
Physical effects of massage
Pumping – The stroking movements from a massage therapist help to suck fluid through blood vessels and lymph vessels. By increasing the pressure in front of the stroke, a vacuum is created behind. This is especially important in tight or damaged muscle tissue, as a tight muscle will squeeze blood out like a sponge, depriving the tissues of vital nutrients and energy to repair. The massage helps to prevent this problem and circulates blood throughout your deep tissue and body.
Increased tissue permeability – Deep tissue massage causes the pores in tissue membranes to open, enabling fluids and nutrients to pass through. This helps remove waste products such as lactic acid and encourages the muscles to take up oxygen and nutrients which help them recover quicker.
Stretching – Massage can stretch tissues that could not be stretched in the usual methods. Bundles of muscle fibres are stretched lengthwise as well as sideways. Massage can also stretch the sheath or fascia that surrounds the muscle, releasing any tension or pressure buildup, which can lead to improved health.
Break down scar tissue – Scar tissue is the result of previous injuries or trauma and can affect muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This can lead to inflexible tissues that are prone to injury and pain. The massage will break down the scar tissue, which will decrease the risk of future injuries.
Improve tissue elasticity – Hard training can make tissues rigid and inelastic. This is one reason why hard training may not result in improved performance, and can negatively impact the body. Massage helps reverse this by stretching the tissues.
Opens microcirculation – Massage increases blood flow to tissues, but so does exercise. What massage also does is open or dilate the blood vessels. Stretching the blood vessels in this way enables nutrients to pass through more easily.Physiological effects of sports massage
Pain reduction – Tension and waste products in muscles can often cause pain. Massage helps reduce this in many ways including releasing endorphins throughout the body.
Relaxation – Muscles relax through the heat generated during a massage, which leads to greater circulation, further increasing the relaxation effect. When combined with the stretching aspect of sports massage, muscles are able to reach even greater levels of relaxation. Mechanoreceptors that sense touch, pressure, tissue length, and warmth are stimulated during a massage, causing a reflex relaxation.
Psychological effects of massage
Anxiety reduction – Due to the effects mentioned above, your body relaxes during a massage, which reduces anxiety levels. Not only will reduced anxiety levels improve your mental health, but they can also improve your physical health.
Invigorating – if massage is done with brisk movements, such as the type of massage given before a sports event, it often produces an invigorating feeling.
What massage technique will help my body and reduce pain?
Have you ever wondered why there are different massage techniques and faced the dilemma of which one to choose? With so many massage techniques available, people often wonder which type of massage therapy will help improve their health and reduce their pain. If you are wondering if sports massage therapy is right for you, keep reading as we'll explain what exactly sports massage is and how it differs from remedial massage.
What is a sports massage?
Sports massage is a targeted massage that focuses on specific areas of the body to help sports performance. It aims to reduce tension, flush out toxins, and balance muscle activity after an intensive training session or sports activity. The therapist can use deep and intense pressure to mobilise muscle, lymphatic vessels, and fascial tissue. The deep tissue pressure from the massage promotes the movement of muscular waste products such as lactic acid and uric acid, encourages blood flow, and promotes the healing of injuries. Deep and intense pressure can be uncomfortable for some, but our high-quality massage therapists are trained to assess the depth and patient's pain tolerance to achieve the greatest therapeutic effect. During your massage, you can communicate to the therapist your pain tolerance and the therapist will adjust the massage pressure accordingly.
Amateur and professional athletes can benefit from having sports massages whether they have injuries or not. Before training, a sports massage it helps prepare the muscular and nervous systems to do activity and it can aid in the prevention of sporting injuries. After training, a massage can help promote recovery and speed up healing, which can reduce the effect of conditions such as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It can target adhesions (knots) between muscle fibres and old scar tissue as well as rebalance how muscles control joints. For example, the massage therapist can target the shoulder so the joint is less affected. A sports massage can also help people who are not sports enthusiasts - regular gym-goers or recreational runners can benefit from a sports massage. Benefits include faster recovery, improved health, and better fitness performance.
What is the difference between a remedial massage and a sports massage therapist?
Remedial massage is a therapeutic technique that targets muscles that are tense due to chronic pain or injury. Remedial massage is a form of physical therapy. Unlike sports massage, the area of concern doesn't have to be stress-related. Problems can be stress related tension in the muscles, pain from an injury, muscle ache and soreness due to bad posture, or any problem that needs physical therapy. Remedial massage is less concerned about the imminent performance of the muscular system for an activity (like a game later in the day) as it is more concerned with resolving symptoms and general muscular function for everyday life. As a form of physiotherapy, remedial massage is a great way to improve the overall health and wellbeing of your body.
If you are ready to receive the benefits of massage therapy, with sports massage or remedial massage therapy, you can book an appointment at our clinic today. If you have any questions, you can contact us and find a clinic near you.