Sports Massage: Not Just For Athletes
What is a sports massage?
Sports massage was originally designed for athletes. However, it is very useful and helpful for those who are suffering from chronic pain or injury-related issues. It was developed in order to help athletes get physically prepared for optimal performance, training, or for a big event. The main deal with a sports massage is associated with healing or further prevention of injuries that involve the person’s tendons and muscles.
Not just for athletes
However, in order to get a sports massage, people do not have to join the Olympics. Anyone who feels chronic pain, has some injuries, or has a restricted ROM or range of motion is recommended to have sports massage.
In a session, the masseuse is generally concentrated on a particular problematic part of the body, such as the neck or the shoulders.
What happens during a session?
This style of massage is actually a type of Swedish massage which is able to stimulate the circulation of blood and the lymphatic fluids. Some of the sessions might include what is called trigger point therapy which can break down the adhesions in the muscles and increase the person’s range of motion.
Different types
There are actually four different types of sports massage. The first one is the pre-event sports massage, which is just a short yet highly stimulating massage that goes on for around fifteen to forty-five minutes. This type is done on the specific parts of the body where exertion is most likely to occur.
The second type is the post-event sports massage. This is responsible for normalizing the body’s tissues and is done for one to two hours.
Restorative sports massage is the third type. This is given during the training period because it allows the athlete to train harder and have only lesser injuries.
The fourth type of sports massage is the rehabilitative one. This type is largely focused on alleviating the pain that is experienced by a particular person because of the presence of any sort of injury and also help the body recover quickly and return to normal body health.
When to get one
If the pain being felt is quite specific to one area only, then sports massage is the one that is most recommended. An example of such situation would be painful knee because of running too much. Also, it is helpful to consult with a movement therapist first in identifying or correcting a particular pattern in the person’s movement that could be causing the injury.
What the therapist should do
The therapist knows that the problematic area should be the priority, like an overstretched hamstring or a frozen shoulder. The therapist will then focus on the affected body parts instead of giving the client a full body massage.
Most people feel much more comfortable with a sports massage, especially the men, because it makes them feel more masculine. Therapists would let them have a sports massage if they want to, but if and only if they do not have any sort of injury.

