Benefits Of Sports Massage Therapy
Everybody loves massages because they are enjoyable and relaxing. You stand to benefit in more than just these two ways when you get regular massages. Sports massage in particular has a lot of physical, physiological and psychological benefits. Sports massages are meant for both athletes and non-athletes. Sports massages have been known to affect how one thinks, feels and moves. Massage is basically the manipulation of our body’s soft tissues to bring on a positive effect. Massage therapy has been used for different purposes for very many years.
Sports massage is under massage therapy. The main differences between regular massage therapy and sports therapy lies in a patient’s reasons for seeking massage therapy and his or her expected outcomes. Sports massage therapy is a clinical massage that is designed to treat soft tissue and musculoskeletal injuries. Sports therapy is tailored to meet each individual’s unique needs. If you are an athlete, you should get sports massage on a regular basis so you can reduce the chances of getting injured as you take part in your sport. Massage therapists have to undergo additional training on the anatomy, physiology and biomechanics of the body to become certified sports therapists.
Advanced skills are needed in sports massage therapy because the therapist has to know how to come up with techniques suited for each type of injury and be able to advise a patient on how to carry on with their life post-massage therapy.
Massage therapy comprises of a number of techniques. One technique is effleurage, where a massage therapist slides his or her hands across a patient’s skin to prepare them for their massage therapy. Secondly, we have petrissage, which involves compressing and then releasing tissues. Another major technique is sports massage therapy is frictions, where a massage therapist puts pressure on the injured area with the pads of their fingers and thumb so as to break down scar tissue and restore skin elasticity. Percussion is also a technique in sports therapy. Percussion is mainly used to ready a patient for exercises because it involves relaxing the muscles.
There are a number of reasons why sports therapy is important. One scientifically proven benefit of sports massage therapy is that it relieves one of delayed onset muscle soreness. This type of massage therapy will accomplish this by improving the circulation of blood and other tissue fluids all around the body so as to prevent muscle fatigue. Sports massage therapy is also an important stress reliever. When a person receives massage, the body releases neurotransmitters known as endorphins that reduce anxiety and improve one’s mood. You will benefit a lot from sports therapy despite your fitness goals or workout intensity.