| Sports
Massage
What
is Sports Massage?
A
sports massage like Swedish massage is a hands on therapy
treatment used as a healing art to help with aches and
pains and promote healing from within.
The five classical massage movements (effleurage, petrissage,
frictions, vibrations & tapotement) are employed
using oil, cream or talc.
Sports massage differs from Swedish massage in that
the movements performed are much deeper and firmer and
therefore more stimulating. The client "knows they
have been massaged" after a treatment.
Why
do people have Sports Massage?
The
popular misconception that you have to participate in a sporting
activity to have a sports massage is far from true.
It does not matter if you sit at a desk all day, dig the garden,
dance in Swan Lake or play a sport If you strain a muscle the damage
to the tissues is the same no matter how it happened. Therefore people
from all backgrounds may, at sometime, benefit from a sports massage.
Effects
of Sports Massage:
- Improved
circulation of blood and the lymphatic system
- Improved
flexibility
- Removal
of muscular aches and pains (waste products)
- Assist
recovery period between training sessions
- Breakdown
of adhesions and fibrous tissues (knotted muscles)
- Relaxation
of the nervous system
What
to expect from a massage
The
initial treatment includes a health consultation and assessment to
determine the areas needing immediate treatment. This will include
a history of the injury and how it occurred and any contra-indications
that need to be taken into consideration.
If necessary, a postural assessment may also be to determine
overuse injuries. Following the consultation the most
effective course of treatment will be administered.
Duration
of treatment
Depending
on the areas to be treated, the duration can range from thirty to
ninety minutes. If there is only one area to be treated a thirty-minute
treatment will be enough but it does depend on the severity of the
case and how the client responds to treatment.
The initial consultation will help to decide this. A full body massage
or more than one area will need at least one to one and a half hours
to get the best results.
What
to expect after a treatment
Each
client is different but generally after treatment the range of movement
should be significantly improved and any tightness should have been
eased. It is possible that some patients may feel fatigued immediately
after a treatment, whilst others will not.
The following two to three days is when the healing
process start and stiffness may be felt but this is
quite normal. Once again this varies person to person
and it is just a case of finding out when the next treatment
will be in relation to the stiffness easing off (especially
for competing sports persons).
Aftercare
Having
been treated the patient will normally be given some exercises they
can do at home to assist in the recovery of the muscle.
When performed in conjunction with treatments they help speed up
the healing process and prevent relapses between treatments. A recommended
time scale between treatments is given if further work is needed.
|
