Sports massage was designed for athletes, but it is useful for anyone with chronic pain, injury as well as range-of-motion issues. Sports massage was originally developed in order to help athletes prepare their bodies for optimal performance, or recover after a big event, as well as function well during training. Sports massage emphasizes prevention as well as healing of injuries to the muscles and tendons.
But you don’t have to be in the Olympics in order to benefit from sports massage. Sports massage is also good for people with injuries, chronic pain as well as restricted range of motion. The massage therapist will generally concentrate on a specific problem area, such as sore neck and shoulders. This is the kind of sports massage that you see in the spa.
The Process of A Sports Massage
Sports massage is a kind of Swedish massage which stimulates circulation of blood as well as lymph fluids. Some sports massage movements use trigger point therapy in order to break down adhesions, which are the knots in the muscles, as well as increase range of motion.
There are four different kinds of sports massages. The pre-event sports massage refers to a short, stimulating massage 15 – 45 minutes before the event, which is directed toward the parts of the body that will be involved in the exertion.
A post-event sports massage is given within an hour or two of the event, in order to normalize the body’s tissues. The restorative sports massage is given during training in order to allow the athlete to train harder as well as with less injury. The rehabilitative sports massage is aimed at alleviating pain due to injury as well as returning the body to health.
When To Get A Sports Massage At The Spa
A sports massage is a good choice in case you have a specific problem, such as a tender knee from running. It is also be a good idea to see a movement therapist, who can help you in identifying as well as correcting the movement pattern which might be causing your injury in the first place.
The therapist generally focuses in on the problem area, such as a frozen shoulder or pulled hamstring, rather than giving you a thorough full-body massage.
Sometimes men who are new to the spa feel more comfortable getting a sports massage as it sounds more masculine. That too is fine, even if they don’t have an injury.
No matter what type of massage you choose, the therapist has to check in with you about your needs as well as expectations from the massage.