Sports remedial massage might be needed if you’re seeking deep tissue massage to ease discomfort or injury. Unfortunately, understanding all the various forms of massage therapy may be confusing at first.
Though typically associated with athletes, sports remedial massage Adelaide can benefit anyone experiencing chronic pain while improving posture, relieving stress, and strengthening immunity.
Athletes can benefit from regular sessions.
Sports remedial massage can help athletes and fitness enthusiasts maintain peak performance and avoid injury. This specialised form of massage addresses muscle imbalances promotes recovery, and prevents injuries by targeting muscles, tendons and ligaments most affected by physical activity – using techniques such as trigger point therapy, myofascial release and deep tissue massage to do just this.
Studies examining the impact of sports massage on athletic performance have employed different research designs, including randomised controlled trials, non-randomised historical cohort comparisons, case series and controlled before/after studies. Results have demonstrated that sports massage decreases levels of lactic acid (a chemical in our body that causes soreness post-exercise), increases leg volume and increases muscular strength.
Massage can break down adhesions between muscle fibres, allowing more oxygen to reach muscles and extremities – flushing out toxins while improving muscle functionality and general well-being.
Massage has many other health advantages, including decreasing oedema (fluid retention) and stiffness of muscles and joints, improving flexibility, and helping reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Athletes should always ensure they’re adequately hydrated before receiving sports massage, as lack of hydration could result in muscles tightening up further, increasing pain and discomfort.
Trigger point therapy
Trigger points are muscle knots that refer to pain elsewhere in the body. The goal of trigger point massage therapy is to locate and release these trigger points so the affected areas can return to normal function, reduce stress levels and improve posture. A professional sports remedial massage Adelaide will use their hands to locate distinct, tight, bumpy bands which form in muscles (often described as knots) before pressing on these knots until they release; in some instances, this may result in minor discomfort, though this should resolve quickly.
These trigger points can occur in any muscle and lead to localised stiffness, tension in muscles, reduced oxygenated blood flow, decreased range of motion, and muscle spasms. Stress, poor exercise practices, injury, or overuse of muscles may cause them.
During their session, massage therapists aim to use pressure from the thumb or fingertip to touch trigger points before gently increasing pressure – repeating this cycle until the trigger point has relaxed completely.
In some instances, practitioners may employ a technique known as dry needling. It involves inserting a needle into myofascial trigger points to cause muscle contractions that relieve tension while clearing away waste products and providing oxygen to tissues that promote healing.
Myofascial release
Myofascial release is a deep-tissue massage technique that works on muscles and the connective tissue surrounding them, known as fascia. Myofascial release can help clients suffering chronic or ongoing muscle pain and conditions like whiplash, fibromyalgia and sciatica; additionally, it may aid athletes in recovering from sports injuries faster by increasing blood flow to injured muscles and tendons and increasing recovery speed.
Lymphatic drainage
The lymphatic system is a series of vessels and nodes throughout the body that carry lymph, an essential component of our immune system, through lymph nodes to various locations within tissues. The lymphatic system plays an essential role in protecting us against illness; however, it may become compromised through medical treatments like radiation or chemotherapy; obesity; certain health conditions that cause blockages to form, which leads to swelling; blockages cause lymphedema which, if left unchecked can result in excess fluid build-up causing lymphedema symptoms; lymphatic drainage provides relief by gently moving excess fluid away from tissues towards lymph nodes.
Gentle manual techniques employing circular movements with light pressure are designed to stimulate and mobilise lymph vessels located very superficially beneath the skin. A sports remedial massage Adelaide may employ this approach all over the body or concentrate on areas that have become swollen or congested for maximum effect.