Whether you’re a keen athlete, regular gym-goer, or simply enjoy playing occasional sports, sustaining an injury can put you off your game for some time. That’s where sports massage for injury prevention and healing can prove to be so beneficial.
This therapeutic form of bodywork helps any active individual recover more rapidly from the injuries that they have experienced, while also helping to guard against the risk of further injuries in the future.
A sports massage targets the areas that are most commonly injured to boost flexibility and improve the range of motion, all the while reducing levels of stress in the body and mind alike. By employing techniques like trigger point release, deep tissue massage and stretching, a professional sports masseuse can promote faster recovery while also helping to lower the chances of another injury occurring.
How Does Sports Massage For Injury Prevention Work?
A professional sports masseuse will apply effective techniques to stretch the muscle tissue layers, applying pressure while releasing tightness to boost the oxygen flow through the body so that it can heal more effectively and naturally.
An excellent way to reducing muscle fatigue and pain, sports massage for injury prevention focuses specifically of improving your performance efficiency, working to heal injuries more rapidly, increase your range of motion and relieve fatigue and tension in the muscles while also helping with sports recovery.
How Does Sports Massage Reduce The Likelihood Of Injury?
Whether you play sports at a high level or just take part in an exercise regime yourself, you’ll find sports massage a beneficial way of helping to guard against injuries. This form of massage works by boosting blood circulation and increasing range of motion and flexibility to support healthy, strong muscles.
When the muscles are over-stressed or tight, sports massage will also bring pain relief, resetting the muscles to their normal functional state, not only promoting a faster recovery but also stopping problems before they’re able to arise. As sports massage also encourages the removal of waste from your body by boosting its lymphatic system, it also reduces post-workout soreness.
How Could I Benefit From Having A Sports Massage?
Sports massages offer benefits that go far beyond recovery promotion and injury prevention. In fact, they can boost your energy levels thanks to the improved oxygenation of the body that this therapeutic form of massage delivers.
As sports massage stimulates the relaxation of the muscular tissue, it also minimises muscle spasms and contractions that can cause pain. Furthermore, it can help realign body imbalances and postural issues to guard against future pain.
As the sympathetic nervous system relaxes during a sports massage, you will experience lowered blood pressure and heart rate. Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline will stop being released while feel-good hormones like dopamine start to be produced. As a result, you’ll feel less anxious and stressed, and your mood will improve.
Sports massage releases serotonin in the brain that provides a relaxing effect. That means you’ll enjoy better quality sleep after your treatment. Also, you’ll feel more confident, energised, refreshed and motivated afterwards, ready to face any upcoming challenges.
When Can I Benefit From A Sports Massage?
Sports massages are helpful pre-workout, post-workout and even during training. They are also extremely beneficial during rehabilitation. If you’re experiencing joint or muscular injuries, posture-related pain, tennis or golfer’s elbow, or a repetitive strain injury, sports massage could be the solution you need.
Who Should Have Sports Massages?
While a sports massage is ideal for those who regularly work out or who compete in sport at a high level, that doesn’t mean that non-athletes cannot benefit. This treatment is appropriate for anyone requiring mobilisation of their soft tissues. Our daily movements cause stress and tension in the muscles over time due to the pressure they exert on the body, so sports massages can prove highly beneficial for anyone, regardless of how often or little they work out.
If you’re eager to boost your well-being, aid your recovery and help to prevent future injuries, a sports massage is the right choice for you.
