Using Sports Massage Therapy to Avoid Injury Rather Than Treat It
Unfortunately people who regularly exercise and play sports only come in contact with Sports Massage Therapy when they’ve been injured and then often as a ‘treatment of last resort’.
In this article we’ll look at what impact regular exercise and sports have on our bodies and how regular maintenance using sports massage therapy may help avoid injury and maintain performance.
What happens during exercise and sports?
During exercise your muscles are expanding and retracting. As you build muscle, your muscles will tear and grow and repair themselves to be stronger. Because of this pain and/or stiffness is often experienced during or after activity.
How
can this impact performance or led to injury?
To enable an exerciser or sports person to perform well and for the activity be enjoyable muscles must be elastic and the joints they support flexible.
The repeated damage and repair of muscles during frequent and sustained activity can leave muscle tissue rigid and tight. This may lower performance levels and enjoyment and even increase the chance of injury.
What
can be done to avoid this?
Sports massage therapy is a deep tissue body massage, which keeps the muscle tissue supple. It focuses on muscle systems used in athletic activities, combining Swedish style massage with trigger points and neuromuscular techniques to reduce soreness and help enhance power, endurance and flexibility.
A good sports massage will stretch and loosen your muscles, releasing tension and easing pain. For regular exercisers it should be part of the overall workout and avoids suffering from painful stiffness and injuries.
The treatment aids repair and reduces scar tissue in the muscle which may alleviate muscle and joint pain. A sports massage is sometimes not as relaxing other types of massage therapy for example aromatherapy massage, since it aims to stretch and loosen muscles which need attention.
Many people who exercise regularly do not realise the benefits and even the necessity of a regular sports massage to avoid pain, stiffness and injury. Massage can maintain this healthy state and make exercise more enjoyable. Prevention is better than cure and regular massage together with not overstraining yourself could avoid a lot of pain.