Sports massage is a fantastic way to recover from training sessions, aid injury recovery and support pain-free living in everyday life. Contrary to what the name suggests it can benefit everyone, not just athletes.
Sports massage is a form of deep tissue massage that manipulates the muscles, connective tissue and fascia in order to aid recovery or treat pathology. Common issues that can benefit from treatment are back pain, muscle strains and ligament sprains, neck pain and tension headaches among many others.
For the desk workers or long commuters among us, long periods of sitting in suboptimal positions will often lead to reports of tension building up in the shoulders and neck from being hunched over staring at a screen as well as lower back pain which could be a result of reduced glute activity and weakness. Sport massage can work wonders to help relieve this tension and pain built up throughout the working day.
If you are training recreationally or competitively, sport massage might be the key that you are missing in your recovery. If you are active you should already be factoring in adequate sleep, nutrition and hydration and incorporating rest days. Sport massage is also a great recovery tool to introduce into your schedule to stay feeling your best and eliminate some of that post-workout tightness. It can also be included as part of your preparation or recovery for big races or competition to help you stay injury free.
Some of the benefits of sport massage include:
- Increase flexibility/range of motion
- Relieve pain and release muscle tension
- Enhance mood, improve sleep and reduce stress
- Boost performance and reduce injury risk
- Break down scar tissue built up from previous injuries
- Stimulate blood flow to promote healing
- Reduce DOMs (delayed onset muscle soreness post-workout) and fatigue
Different techniques can be employed to suit a range of different circumstances, so whether you’re recovering from intense training, getting back after an injury, getting ready for a competition, or just wanting to release tension from the day, sport massage can help you with your goals.
Holly Calver, our Sports Therapist at Pyramid Performance & Health, holds a Masters Degree in Sports Therapy in addition to a wealth of qualifications in sports massage, taping, fitness coaching and more.
Pyramid Performance & Health 