Sports and Therapeutic Massage

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE

Therapeutic massage is the mobilisation and manipulation of the soft tissue of the body to include muscles, ligaments and tendons. This technique has been utilised for thousands of years and is one of the earliest forms of physical therapy dating back over 5,000 years. It’s hard to believe this at first, but if you look at the benefits below, it is easy to see why it has been used for such a long time. Massage may help to:

• Alleviate pain and discomfort in tight soft tissues through relaxing the nervous system
• Increase lymphatic flow to and from the injury site, which helps reduce pain, swelling and inflammation
• Improve joint range of movement and extensibility
• Promote circulation by increasing peripheral blood supply to the area
• Support recovery from soft tissue injury and increase natural healing properties
• Reduce stress related muscular tension and general aches and pains.
• Improve general well-being through promoting relaxation by the release of “feel good” hormones called Endorphins

Our Physiotherapists / Sports Rehabilitation Therapists will implement a wide variety of soft tissue mobilisations to correct the body’s structure, ease restrictions in movement and restore circulation, enabling the body to function efficiently, minimising further damage.

Therapeutic massage can be effective in the treatment of an extensive range of injuries and illnesses to include:

• Sports injuries including muscle strains and ligament sprains.
• Delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS).
• Circulatory issues.
• Headaches, Neck and Back pain.
• Whiplash injuries.
• Stroke patients.
• Arthritic Conditions.
• Fibromyalgia and other Chronic pain conditions.

SPORTS MASSAGE

Sports massage can be used in the treatment of specific injuries, such as hamstring strains and ligament sprains. When an injury has occurred, it is likely that healing of the tissue has occurred non-unified, i.e. not in the same arrangement as it was prior to injury. A sports massage may help to break down the scar tissue (adhesions), correct muscle imbalances, and provide mechanical feedback to a heightened nervous system to aid in relaxation. It is these factors which must be assessed and treated to reduce the risk of future injury and improve the efficiency of muscles. When prescribed correctly, a sports massage can help to improve the rate of recovery, break down the dysfunctional scar tissue, and aid in sleep quantity and quality, all of which will enhance sports performance.

If you are involved in sport at an amateur or professional level, a sports massage can be beneficial throughout the stages of participation to include the conditioning & training phase, prior to, and post competition. Furthermore, it can be effectively used in injury prevention and throughout the course of recovery from injury.

Regardless of your level of participation and experience, whether you exercise socially or compete to an international level, sports massage offers all the benefits of a therapeutic massage, tailored to your specific activity and sporting aspirations.