When you are engaged in sporting activities, your soft tissues develop adhesions over time. Adhesions, in the context of sports medicine, refers to when the soft tissues abnormally stick to surrounding structures. Adhesions can either occur from repetitive movements, injury, from lack of movement following an injury.
Sports massage therapy techniques are designed to breakdown these adhesions and increase blood flow to the affected areas to encourage healing.
Who can benefit from sports massage therapy?
You do not have to be an athlete to try sports massage therapy. Just about anyone can benefit from it. But those who might find the treatment most helpful include those with tension headaches, pain in the neck and shoulder, whiplash, upper and lower back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, tight claves or hamstrings, repetitive strain injuries in the forearms, hands and wrists, tennis elbow, and plantar fasciitis.
Types of sports massages
Sports massages fall into one of four categories: pre-event massage, post-event massage, maintenance massage and injury treatment.
- Pre-event massage
If you have a big sporting event coming up, you may want to consider a pre-event massage. This message will help to energize and prepare your muscles and joints and can be done either a few days or a few hours before the event.
- Post-event massage
A great way to ensure you do not have any injuries following a big sporting event is to get a post-event massage. This will help to soothe and ease muscles and treat any minor aches or pain flared up during your activities.
- Maintenance massage
Maintenance messages are great regardless of your activity level. This type of sports massage targets soft tissues that have become shortened, tight and painful and is helpful for preventing injuries.
- Injury treatment
As the name suggests, injury treatment is the form of sports massage therapy used for those who have suffered an injury. Injury treatment techniques include trigger point therapy, tissue release and K-taping.
How often should you go for a sports massage?
It is completely safe to get a sports massage every week. It would be a good way to prevent micro injuries from becoming more serious and keep your muscles healthy. However, most people do not have the time or money to visit a sports massage therapist so frequently. In fact, most people do not even think about getting a massage until they have pain or another symptom indicating that something might be wrong.
You should find a happy compromise. Try to see a sports massage therapist at least once a month. Do not wait until an injury starts affecting your ability to perform daily functions for then it will be harder and maybe even more expensive to treat.
Are you searching for a sports massage clinic in Burnaby?
If you are searching for a sports massage clinic in Burnaby, visit us at Pacific Health and Sports Therapy. Our clinic is located near Coquitlam and New Westminster and we are open 7 days a week for your convenience.
Our experienced sports massage therapists will consider how your entire body moves and functions to provide comprehensive treatments for better outcomes. If you are ready to be free of pain and recover faster from injuries, give us a call today to schedule a consultation with one of our massage therapists.
