massage therapy : How Massage Can Relieve Sports Injuries
How Massage Can Relieve Sports Injuries
Who doesn’t like to enjoy a good
massage? It, after all, lends a feeling of relaxation and rejuvenates the human
body. In fact, it is because of the healing power of massage that it is
considered to be one of the most effective therapies for relieving sports
injuries and preventing re-injury.
Massage therapy is particularly
recommended for a sportsperson or an athlete who has suffered a harsh injury.
It would definitely make it easy for an athlete to recover quickly and perform
like before.
Sportsperson and athletes are
constantly in fear of injuries that not only cause performance inhibition but
results in loss of valuable time and money. Massage therapy could prevent or
even reverse these sports injuries.
There are different forms of massage therapies:
- Swedish Massage therapy
- Aromatherapy Massage
- Hot Stone Massage
- Deep Tissue Massage
- Thai Massage
Other than the ones mentioned
above, there are specialized massage therapies, such as:
- Sports Massage
- Prenatal Massage
Here in this blog, we will only be
discussing Sports Massage. This type of massage has evolved from the Swedish
massage technique. Sports massage works on muscles that are regularly exercised
and hence are constantly under stress.
Undergoing sports massage therapy
not only works on the present injury but will also prevent future injuries from
happening. Sports massage therapy is best done before training and make up for
an excellent warm-up session.
Because of the tremendous benefits
of sports massage therapy, it is now a staple in many sports training
institutes.
Let’s take a look at some of the
best benefits of sports massage therapy.
Reduces muscles tension: High level of force is applied by a sports massage therapist on tight and warm areas in order to provide relaxation to the nervous system; it also serves to reduce the muscles tension in the targeted areas.
Enhances the recovery: Body gets
tired and stressful after intense exercise or workout, and this can result in
injury if not taken care of. Sports massage basically deals with stress and
prevents injury. Having a perfect sports massage will lead to a good flow of
blood and lymph fluid, removing waste material from the body, and thereby
improving general health. It also leads to the reduction in the recovery time
required for an injury to heal.
Increases motion and flexibility:
It is not new for professional players and athletes to experience muscle
rigidity owing to overtraining. A sports massage therapy helps provide
relaxation to the tense muscles. Having a sports massage before a game or
competition can help you with good performance and flexibility.
Has more targeting points than
foam rolling: The roller in a foam rolling only targets large and broad
muscles. Whereas a proper massage — done with fingers, thumbs, palm, and elbow
— target and reach more deep and thin muscles.
Decreases pain: As you all know,
pain in the body comes from overworked muscles. A sports massage will increase
the flow of blood and provide relaxation from spasm and cramps, thereby
reducing pain.
Conclusion: When professional
players and athletes are enjoying sports massage therapy as a convenient method
to heal their injuries and finding relief from pain, why shouldn’t you give it
a second thought? If you want to recover from an injury or ease a pain, do go
for a massage therapy.