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Sports massage is a specialty area of traditional massage that assists the body to achieve maximum physical results. What sets it apart from traditional massage is its emphasis on injury prevention. Administered before physical activity, it can help protect against pain and injuries while boosting performance. Following physical exertion, it helps remove lactic acid and restores normal muscle tone and range of motion. Sports massage helps relax tight, sometimes-spasmodic muscles by spreading contracted muscle fibers while also increasing circulation to restricted areas. This allows muscles to operate more efficiently, prevents against injury, and aids in recuperation. It helps to maintain good health and reduce stress.
Sports massage is a powerful aid to anyone who wants to use their body at maximum efficiency. For the serious athlete it can help break through plateau like barriers when they become stuck because of fatigued, contracted muscles that have become inefficient. It can also be therapeutic for the amateur athlete as well as people whose occupations require physical exertion. In short sports massage can help nearly everyone. Its benefits and contraindications are similar to Swedish massage.
A sports massage session is usually administered like a Swedish massage session, with the client undressed and covered with a sheet on a massage table, the skin lubricated with oil. Tissues will be warmed using Swedish techniques after which the two key strokes, compression and direct pressure, are emphasized. Stretching the client’s body is common as well as the client actively contracting and relaxing isolated muscle groups while the therapist does compression glides. Typically the session lasts half an hour to 1 hour. The entire body is worked on unless there is a specific complaint that requires more attention. Pressure is generally deep and soreness can occur.
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