massage therapy : How Massage Can Relieve Sports Injuries

How Massage Can Relieve Sports Injuries

Who doesn’t like to enjoy a good massage? It, after all, lends a feeling of relaxation and rejuvenates the human body. In fact, it is because of the healing power of massage that it is considered to be one of the most effective therapies for relieving sports injuries and preventing re-injury.

Massage therapy is particularly recommended for a sportsperson or an athlete who has suffered a harsh injury. It would definitely make it easy for an athlete to recover quickly and perform like before.

Sportsperson and athletes are constantly in fear of injuries that not only cause performance inhibition but results in loss of valuable time and money. Massage therapy could prevent or even reverse these sports injuries.

There are different forms of massage therapies:

• Swedish Massage therapy
• Aromatherapy Massage
• Hot Stone Massage
• Deep Tissue Massage
• Thai Massage

Other than the ones mentioned above, there are specialized massage therapies, such as:

• Sports Massage
• Prenatal Massage

Here in this blog, we will only be discussing Sports Massage. This type of massage has evolved from the Swedish massage technique. Sports massage works on muscles that are regularly exercised and hence are constantly under stress.

Undergoing sports massage therapy not only works on the present injury but will also prevent future injuries from happening. Sports massage therapy is best done before training and make up for an excellent warm-up session.

Because of the tremendous benefits of sports massage therapy, it is now a staple in many sports training institutes.

Let’s take a look at some of the best benefits of sports massage therapy.

Reduces muscles tension: High level of force is applied by a sports massage therapist on tight and warm areas in order to provide relaxation to the nervous system; it also serves to reduce the muscles tension in the targeted areas.

Enhances the recovery: Body gets tired and stressful after intense exercise or workout, and this can result in injury if not taken care of. Sports massage basically deals with stress and prevents injury. Having a perfect sports massage will lead to a good flow of blood and lymph fluid, removing waste material from the body, and thereby improving general health. It also leads to the reduction in the recovery time required for an injury to heal.

Increases motion and flexibility: It is not new for professional players and athletes to experience muscle rigidity owing to overtraining. A sports massage therapy helps provide relaxation to the tense muscles. Having a sports massage before a game or competition can help you with good performance and flexibility.

Has more targeting points than foam rolling: The roller in a foam rolling only targets large and broad muscles. Whereas a proper massage — done with fingers, thumbs, palm, and elbow — target and reach more deep and thin muscles.

Decreases pain: As you all know, pain in the body comes from overworked muscles. A sports massage will increase the flow of blood and provide relaxation from spasm and cramps, thereby reducing pain.

Conclusion: When professional players and athletes are enjoying sports massage therapy as a convenient method to heal their injuries and finding relief from pain, why shouldn’t you give it a second thought? If you want to recover from an injury or ease a pain, do go for a massage therapy.