What is Sports Massage?

Sports Massage is a type massage therapy that is very similar to a deep tissue massage with specific work on problem areas for athletes and weekend warriors.  There are many “modalities” or “types” of massage therapy theses days, and Sports Massage is also a term to help categorize who a massage therapist works on and which massage therapist a new client will search for. 

The benefits of massage are still present in all massage modalities, just different “benefits” are noticed after certain massage styles.  When seeking a Sports Massage, for example, you would be looking for pain relief, to get back to doing the activity you love on a daily basis, or for “maintenance”–which keeps you injury-free much more than without massage.

Sports Massage is focused on injury prevention by thoroughly massaging the joints and muscle groups targeted by a specific sport.

At the same time, Sports Massage is also focused on injury recovery, preparing the muscles after a hard race or workout to be ready for the NEXT event or workout.

The benefits of the sports massage are cumulative, and an athlete’s body will get used to the treatments and react quicker to the treatment after several sessions.

Did You KNOW that Sports Massage has been proven to:

• Reduce muscle tension

• Increase range of motion

• Decrease muscle stiffness and fatigue after exercise

• Improve exercise performance

• Decrease delayed onset muscle soreness

• Enhance athletic performance

• May help prevent injuries when massage is received regularly

from AMTA’s Massage Therapy for those who exercise 

What is the Difference Between a Regular Massage and a Sports Massage?

The difference is the focus or intension of each massage “style” or “modality”. 

A “Relaxation Massage” for example, focuses on relaxing your entire body without any specific attention to painful areas.  The intension or focus of a “Relaxation Massage” is on relaxation, stress relief and/or anxiety reduction.  Here at Athletic Touch Therapeutic Massage I consider a “Relaxation Massage” a style that is non-specific, lighter pressure, and focused on relaxing the somatic nervous system.

A Sports Massage, on the other hand, focuses on athletic performance, and getting the athlete back to their best performance possible, as quick as possible.  This could include recovery from a really intense workout, where the muscles are sore.  

Or, could include more intense focus on a specific injury which is hindering ALL activities, like a sprained ankle, or a deep bruise.

For a Sports Massage to be most effective, it starts with listening to the client’s complaints, then watching them move and finally with how the muscles feel when palpated. 

Some athletes use Sports Massage to help them in preparing for a race or event.  This would include weekly or bi-weekly massage sessions, stretching & strengthening along with their regular training schedule.  In other words, Sports Massage is a part of the training plan.  It’s best to have a Sports Massage 1-2 days after a long run instead of before if all is going well.  This needs to be in the athlete’s schedule so they can plan their workout type around the recovery.  

Sports Massage is a part of the “recovery” for most athletes, but it is also part of the prevention.  Many athletes can TOTALLY AVOID getting hurt in the first place when they use Sports Massage on a regular basis as a part of their training schedule.

How Can Sports Massage Help? 

Sports Massage helps an athlete keep their body injury free for a longer period of time. In the long term, preparing for a race, recovering from an injury or from event training, Sports Massage helps the body recover 50% faster than rest alone, and helps the body avoid injury and creates longevity in sports performance.

If you are having shin splint pain, for example, a Sports Massage will address all the muscles around that pattern: your shins, upper leg, feet, hips, low back, upper back, neck and arms.

Possibly, you are pushing off your right toe and pulling back with your left arm as you run. This pattern can show up as shin splints for some people.

A Sports Massage will address an area of pain for different issues, for example headaches, insomnia or back pain-usually from working on the computer too long. This relationship is also long term, creating a partnership between client and therapist to create balance and pain free living in everyday life.

How is Sports Massage Different?

A Sports Massage is different from regular massage because it focuses on areas specific to your sport, with massage directions and stretching in the same directions as your sport.

The way a pitcher’s arm moves when he’s pitching is different from a golfer’s swinging motion or from a tennis player’s arm motion.

Each of these motions recruits specific and unique muscle groups and fascia around the mayor joints utilized.  Also included are all muscles & tissues across the body, for example from right throwing shoulder to left stabilizing hip/leg. 

Even if you play all sports, when you come in for a Sports Massage, your complaint will be after an ORIGINAL overuse or an injury in a specific direction, which is what Sports Massage focuses on.

In sports or any intense activity (like some traveling, or moving quickly in office work), the body can get bound up from a certain movement pattern being overused.  Sports Massage (even if it’s not “labeled” as such) is a great way to loosened up again and back to your pain-free way of moving.

Sports Massage is a Long Term Relationship

Consider your time for Sports Massage as something long-term.  The more consistent you are, the better your body will perform, and the better you know your body–what is harmful pain, what is workout pain, how much is too much.

This relationship is between You and You!

It’s also between you and your massage therapist, which is also important, and important to find someone you like and get along with.  If your communication styles are different and you aren’t discussing the stretches, overuse, injury care, etc, think about how you can approach these conversations with them.

An Athletic Touch Sports Massage is a long term relationship, in which I assume that you will come back many times. With any of my Sports Massage sessions, I include stretching, strengthening, balancing, and breathing; I show you what to do at home to improve your recovery time.

Your “before and after” pain/race times/efficiency is part of your overall treatments.

During a Sports Massage, I will show you what patterns are creating imbalance and/or pain in your body; with this knowledge, you can make adjustments to stay injury-free. You will learn to help yourself recover quicker, and to avoid injury by being more flexible, having stronger joints, balanced muscles and deeper breathing. I am your team member for your consistent best performance.

Why is it Good to Have Worked With a Sports Massage Therapist Prior to My Event/Race?

A Sports Massage Therapist learns what you need by working on you. It’s like recognizing someone’s face: the memory of what your muscle patterns need are memorized by the therapist.

Once you work with a Sports Massage Therapist, they know what you need, what limits can be pushed with your body to still receive benefits, what areas of your body need extra stretching or extra attention.  

In short: they will know how much pressure they can use on you without you being sore, but using just the right amount of pressure so that your muscles relax.

After several sessions together, you can determine if the pressure was too much or just right.  One day after the massage, you may feel different than 4 days after, etc.  By having a Sports Massage with a therapist you have just tried right before your event, you risk feeling very sore or lethargic during your race.

By working with a therapist 4-6 months before your event, you work through all of those issues before, so you and your body know what to expect during exercise.  The therapist will know how to help you without hurting you. 

Try to work with your Sports Massage Therapist at least a few weeks prior to your event for best results.    

What is the Best Schedule for Sports Massage While I Prepare for My Marathon?

Here is an excerpt from the American Massage Therapy Association‘s website on Sports Massage:

“Sports massage can be used to improve athletic performance, speed recovery, and can be utilized by all individuals who participate in any athletic and/or exercise program to help improve conditioning and maintain peak performance. Many professional and collegiate athletic programs employ or contract with massage therapists, and sports massage has been sought for many years by athletes of differing backgrounds for multiple reasons.  With the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines being very clear that activity is essential for people to be healthy, sports massage can be recommended to those individuals who participate in exercise programs as well as professional and collegiate athletes.

Research has shown that in relation to exercise and athletic participation massage can:*

• Reduce muscle tension

• Help athletes monitor muscle tone

• Promote relaxation

• Reduce muscle hypertonicity

• Increase range of motion

• Improve soft tissue function

• Support recovery from the transient immunosuppression state

• Support the recovery of heart rate variability and diastolic blood pressure after high-intensity exercise.

• Decrease muscle stiffness and fatigue after exercise

• Improve exercise performance

• Decrease delayed onset muscle soreness

• Be the most efficient intervention for maintaining maximal performance time in subsequent exercise tests when combined with active recovery from maximal exercise

• Reduce serum creatine kinase post exercise

• Reduce swelling

• Reduce breathing pattern disorders

• Enhance athletic performance

• May help prevent injuries when massage is received regularly

Individuals who participate in exercise and athletic programs who seek enhanced performance, improved conditioning, faster recovery, injury prevention, and assistance in maintaining peek fitness can benefit from massage therapy given by professional massage therapists working within their scope of practice. “