For thousands of years one of our natural instincts to aches and pains has been to "rub it better". A Sports Massage Therapist applies a thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology, in particular the muscular and skeletal systems, to the action of "rubbing it better".   By understanding these systems as well as understanding the effects of exercise we may also appreciate how massage may benefit the sports person and become an integral part of the individuals training program.

Injury prevention

Perhaps the greatest benefit of a sports massage is that it consists of specific components designed to minimise the risk of sports-related injuries. It specifically alleviates muscle tension and inflammation after exercise, and provides a warm-up to loosen muscles for amateur and professional athletes before an event.

All athletes are looking to improve their sports performance and get a 'leg up' on their competition, be they Olympic athletes, serious amateur sportsmen, or weekend warriors. To do this, a rigorous training schedule is implemented in order to enhance their skills, strength, endurance and speed. Unfortunately, as the level of training is increased, so is the risk of injury.

As an athlete boosts their training schedule, they almost always overuse their muscles, causing strain, tears and imbalances in the soft muscle tissues. Additionally tragic is the fact that most athletes, in their quest to improve, ignore aches and pains until they turn into serious injuries. The more a sports injury is ignored; the more susceptible it becomes to further strain and injury.

One way to encourage muscle repair after training is with sports massage. Sports massage will help release any built up tension and flush out waste products in the overworked muscles so that blood and oxygen can return to the muscle and effectively promote muscle repair. Sports massage, if received as part of a sports program, can help an athlete prevent injury due to overuse.

Having said all that………
…this treatment is not just for the sports person! Anyone can benefit from sports massage, including people in physically demanding jobs and those not quite so obviously stressful. (Occupational, emotional and postural stress may produce many similar characteristics to sports injuries).