What is Sports Massage?
Soft tissue is the connective tissue that has not hardened into bone and cartilage; it includes skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia (a form of connective tissue that lines and wraps around the other soft tissue).
Sports massage is designed to assist in correcting problems and imbalances in soft tissue that are caused by repetitive and strenuous physical activity and trauma. The application of sports massage, prior to and after exercise, may enhance performance, aid recovery and prevent injury.
What injuries can Sports Massage help?
- Knee injuries
- Sports-related injuries
- Ankle pain
- Postural pain
- Neck pain
- Shoulder injuries
- Lower back pain
Benefits of Sports Massage
- Prevents injury
- Reduces pain
- Improves circulation and reduces swelling
- Enhances performance and recovery
Types of Sport Massage Treatment
Neuromuscular Therapy
Neuromuscular therapy is a form of soft tissue manipulation that aims to treat underlying causes of chronic pain involving the muscular and nervous systems. This medically-oriented form of massage addresses trigger points (tender muscle points), circulation, nerve compression, postural issues, and biomechanical problems that can be caused by repetitive movement injuries.
Soft Tissue Release (STR)
Soft tissue release (STR) is a hands-on manual therapy technique used to assess and treat the tissue of the body. The soft tissues of the body (muscle, tendon, fascia and ligaments) are prone to acute and chronic injury, which leads to swelling, adhesions and fibrosis (scarring) of the tissue.
This type of injury often results in pain and loss of mobility, strength, and function. Soft tissue release targets specific areas of tension within an individual muscle with the aim of removing scar tissue and adhesion to relieve muscular tension and pain. Soft tissue release can be used on both acute and chronic injuries. The technique works by locking or fixing the area of tension, the muscle is then actively or passively stretched. Soft tissue release works by breaking down these muscle adhesions and improving blood flow to the area to re-establish optimal length, resilience, and function of the muscles.
Myofascial Release
Myofascial Release is a safe and very effective hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the Myofascial connective tissue restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion. This essential “time element” has to do with the viscous flow and the piezoelectric phenomenon: a low load (gentle pressure) applied slowly will allow a viscoelastic medium (fascia) to elongate.
Muscle Energy Technique (MET)
MET’S aim is to lengthen (relax) a muscle that has become tight and hyperactive. Within the muscles, there are spindles that contract muscles and at the end of the muscle, in the tendons, there are organs called Golgi tendon organs. The Golgi tendon organs are responsible for sensing the length and tension of the spindles. During the PIR technique, the therapist will manipulate the muscle that is tight (the target area) by stimulating Golgi tendons to sense an increase the length of the muscle thereby overriding the muscle spindles and in so doing allowing the muscle to lengthen and relax (autogenic inhibition). During the RI technique, the therapist focuses on getting the muscle opposite the target muscle to contract, so that the target muscle has to relax. This is known as reciprocal inhibition.
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