About Sports Massage

Sports massage is a very hands on direct method which reduces discomfort/ pain or reduces risk of injury.  We achieve this by directly manipulating the muscles. Sports massage therapist have excellent knowledge on how to manipulate muscle/ soft tissue. 

Sports massage uses blood flow, either increasing or decreasing blood-flow to benefit recovery. This combined with techniques which help relax the muscles, reduce tension and therefore discomfort. 

If that is all it is, why can't anyone do it? We are trained to know what muscles to work on, what techniques to use that will be most affective for each individual case. 

Below are some of the most common questions about sports massage. If you have any further questions, don't be afraid to ask using the contact button at the bottom of the page. 

Sport massage can be painful or uncomfortable depending on your massage therapist, sensitivity and type of pain/ issue. 

There are many methods of massage and a few reasons why some may hurt more than others. Different massage therapists work in different ways. Sports massage can be more sore than others. 

If you massage will be sore also depends on what issue you have/ the reason for wanting a massage. Another reason could be your personal sensitivity; some people can handle the type of discomfort that comes with sports massage better than other people. 

As a massage therapist my technique should not be 'painful'. If someone is more sensitive I will work with less pressure, however, a certain amount f pressure must be exerted to make sure the treatment is effective. 

When I am doing massage I tell people that if they feel pain, they should tell me. My massage should be uncomfortable but bearable. 

One function of massage can be to reduce inflammation; if i cause pain during a massage the body will respond with inflammation response which is counterproductive. 

Sports massage works in a few ways. There are different techniques and options to use with different issues. 

When a person has muscular pain, tightness or 'knots' we will manipulate the tissue in different directions, then stretch the muscle. 

In this process we; 

• Directly massage knots out of the tissue. 
• Increase blood flow, therefore increasing the amount of oxygen. 
• Work the correct tissues around the area to maximize the benefits, prevent it happening so soon after. 
• Work one of the muscles to make the opposite muscle relax. 
• Lastly, I believe there is a psychological effect which can help you relax.   

There are many different types of massage. 'Deep tissue massage' is very similar to sports massage whereas lymphatic drainage massage and holistic massages are very different.   

Lymphatic drainage is a much lighter form of massage which helps the movement, reduction and removal of waste in the lymphatic system. It can be effective if waste removal is what you need. If you went to a lymphatic drainage for a muscular strain, the massage would not be very effective., however, it would still help a little. 

Holistic massage, therapeutic massage are based on a body mind connection, again these massages are lighter, based on a whole body cleansing, removal of general tightness and can help relive stress, bad energy in the mind. 

Sports massage and deep tissue massage focuses on more specific areas, if you have an injury. The process of recovery and prevention across the body, We mainly excel in muscular knowledge.  Sports massage can be light and superficial as well as a harder, deep massage. 

A lot of sports massage therapist are qualified in 'body massage' which is a form of holistic massage before they specify into sports massage. If you have pain however are sensitive or you would like more of holistic approach, some therapist would be able to provide a more inclusive service for you. 

There is no specific time to get a massage however, timing can benefit your greatly. 

If you want a maintenance massage - Regular appointments are great for targeting areas you cannot with self-treatment/ if massage works best for you, maintenance is great for injury prevention.  

Recovery massage - Recovery massage other from operation, injury or pain can be one of the most beneficial uses of sports massage. During this time you may not be able to do as much, damaged tissues could mean waste removal is worse. Sports massage can keep your muscles supple, help remove waste and sustain muscle mass. 

Prevention massage - Prevention massage can be similar to maintenance massage. However, it could be along time since injury. Working on a specific area that you know can flare up easily. This means I could work on the area while giving advice and exercises to benefit, prevent injury long term. 

How you feel after a massage can vary from person to person. 

From experience; some people feel benefits immediately, some people don't feel any benefits until the next morning.  

• If you have an issue with deeper tissue, you may feel more sore after the treatment as the massage will work through soft tissue. 

• If you have any discomfort on superficial tissue, you may fee mor relief immediately after a massage. 

• If you have an issue which is not easily solvable, a massage can start to help but you may have to do work to improve your situation yourself. This can be done by your therapist giving you exercises/ advice to follow. 

This, like most questions, will depend on what you want/ need. 

Your sports massage therapist should make you aware of what you should wear. 

In most cases:

If you have an issue with your upper body, (back, chest, shoulders),  girls would be expected to take off bras. You will receive towel to cover yourself, at no point should you be exposed. 

If your issue is in the lower body, (upper leg), you would be expected to wear small shorts/ underwear. You should not need to take of any underwear when getting a sports massage. You will also have a towel provided to cover any areas that are not being worked on. 

If you ever feel exposed or uncomfortable in a massage, ask your massage therapist for an extra towel, they should provide. 

Sports massage sounds like its for a very specific group of people and for specific issues, however, sports massage is for everyone and can help with a large array of issues, pains as well as maintenance.  

You do need to have anything 'wrong' to want a sports massage. They very effective at preventing injury, recovery from injury and maintaining good physical health.  

Massage is know to increase muscle mass, compliance and increase joint motion. 

Massage can prevent injury/ increase recovery time and maintain supple muscles by increasing blood-flow, manipulating tissue to force relaxation. Different techniques can worse muscle fibres that would usually be spasmed to relax, something you can find difficult to do y yourself. 

To learn more about the specifics of sports massage, as a reference to my statements you can read the article on 'Determining the Benefits of Massage Mechanisms' given below:

Gasibat, Q. and Suwehli, W., 2017. Determining the benefits of massage mechanisms: a review of literature. Rehabilitation Sciences, 3(2), pp.58-67.

If it is your first time seeing a therapist, you should a consultation of some sort. This will include a form, and a brief medical history. We will look at you and assess using the information you have given us what we will do during the session. 

Next, the therapist should let you change, begin with a massage on the area of issue. You may be asked to remove certain items of clothing to allow access to certain areas. For example - a bra so the upper back can be massaged properly. 

If this page has not answered your questions or you are interested in learning more, follow the link below . It will take you to the About SMT page which has more information about what will happen during a massage with me and why it happens.

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