What is Sports Massage?
Sports massage is a manual technique applied to the body's soft tissues. Sports massage is a deep and intense massage treatment. Sports massage uses various techniques involving stretching, toning, friction and compression. Sports massage is invigorating and is used effectively to treat muscular damage, overuse injuries, muscle tension and reduce the risk of injury. Sports massage can be used for maintenance massage, pre and post exercise events and for injury rehabilitation. Soft tissue techniques of a sports massage are effective in the management of both acute and 
chronic injuries. Sports massage can speed up the body's healing process and reduce discomfort and pain from injury.
What is a sports massage used for?
Sports massage can be used in a range of circumstances. Sports massage is used to:
- Relieve muscular tension
- Mobilise soft tissue
- Treat muscular damage
- Break down adhesions
- Reduce pain
Sports massage can be used to relieve muscular tension. Sports massage is applied with deep pressure to both superficial and underlying muscles. Tension is built up in the muscles due to stress, injury or physical activity. A build up of tension results in a higher muscle tone. Muscle tone is the level of contraction of the muscles while they are at rest. High muscle tone can feel tight and cause pain. Sports massage reduces high muscle tone by stimulating the blood flow, increasing temperature and allowing muscles to relax.
Sports massage can be used to mobilise muscles and soft tissues. Restricted soft tissue movement reduces flexibility and produces pain. Soft tissues in the body should be relaxed and wavy in configuration allowing movement without restriction or pain. When tissues or muscle fibers are damaged they can become tense and restrict movement. Sports massage uses specific techniques to stretch and loosen muscles fibers to allow more movement and decrease pain.
Sports massage is an effective treatment to treat muscular damage. Sports massage can treat cramps, muscle injuries and over stretched tissue fibres. Sports massage helps speed up the healing process and reduces discomfort. To treat muscular damage massage therapists at Manchester Physio use a number of effective techniques to speed up the recovery process such as, hot and cold treatments, lymphatic drainage massage, and trigger pointing.
Sports massage can be used to break down adhesions. Adhesions are fibrous bands of scar tissue that form between internal organs and tissues. Post injury adhesions are formed part of the body's healing process to repair damaged tissues. Adhesions can become rigid and cause stiffness and pain. Sports massage can be used to treat muscular injuries and break down adhesions that are formed from muscle damage. Sports massage uses a range of techniques to break down adhesions and allow the muscle fibres to be realigned to their normal form.
Massage is an effective and beneficial technique used to reduce and manage pain. The effect of massage interferes with the body's pain signal pathways, releases endorphins and provides deep relaxation. Massage increases the blood flow to joints and muscles, increasing temperature. The increase of temperature allows the muscles to relax and pain to be decreased.
Awbeg Acupuncture Clinic
Acupuncture and Sports Massage
| Rhone Tree Cottage, Lag, Doneraile, Mallow, Co.Cork P51 VY98 |
Unit 4 1 O'Rehilly Row, Lower Patrick Street, Fermoy, Co.Cork P61 RY18 |
Tel: 086-1614507
Email: maryandnoel@hotmail.com
