Sports massage therapy has many beneficial effects and is an important component of athletic training. Massage has been shown to assist athletes in obtaining training goals in a more balanced way and helps to avoid over stressing the body. Growing number of trainers believe that massage can provide an extra edge to the athletes who participate in high-performance sports in addition to helping the athlete’s body achieve maximum performance and physical conditioning with a decreased chance of injury or pain and a quicker recovery.
Sports Therapeutic Massage Therapy is vital adjunct to caring for the wear-and-tear and minor injuries that naturally occur with strenuous movement. Massage is a modality that can be utilized pre-performance, post-performance, or for rehabilitation in addition to training. Many different movements and techniques are used which are then tailored to a specific sport, athletic level, and age group.
Research shows, massage essentially helps the body recover from the stresses of active exercise, and facilitates the rebuilding phase of conditioning in muscles. The physiological benefits of massage are improved blood and lymph circulation, muscle relaxation, and general relaxation. These, in turn, lead to removal of waste products and better cell nutrition, normalization and greater elasticity of tissues, deactivation of trigger points, and faster healing of injuries. Studies show a 30% decrease in delayed onset of muscle soreness. Many sports massage therapy programs, can involve prevention and maintenance programs, on-site treatment before and after an athletic event and rehabilitation of those injured during an event. The benefits of massage make it an ideal complement to any sports program