There is this misconception that Sports Massage is only for people who play sports or train in the gym often. It is true that athletes benefit from regular sports massage to help with their performance, however that doesn't mean 'normal' people cannot reap the benefits of having a sports massage. I would recommend everyone to have regular sports massage for their health and well being. Sports Massage, whether injured or not, is a therapy that enables the body to move more freely, alleviates stresses in muscles of the body and helps maintain a overall healthy physical state.
Here are 4 reasons why you should give Sports Massage Therapy a try:
1. If you are suffering from severe Stiffness or pain in a certain area
Most people come for a Sports Massage because they are suffering from an injury. In Sports massage therapy, range of movement tests are done around the injury. From these test, we can figure out which muscles are tight helping alleviate pain from the injury. However an injury doesn't have to just be something that is stopping you from your exercise or training. If a certain muscle or muscles are severely stiff causing you pain, a sports massage treatment to find out which muscles are tight and restricted will be very beneficial.
2. If you have restricted range of movement in your body
Restricted range of movement can be cause from overuse of a certain muscle group or lack of. By releasing a muscle from tension and pressure build up normal range of motion can be regained. A popular area that I treat on many clients is their neck and shoulders which have restricted movement pre-massage. After their treatment, they find it much easier to turn their head to the side or to roll their shoulders back. With the knots in the muscles and stresses released, they feel much more relaxed and at ease.
3. If you want a 'therapy' that releases muscle tension and not just a 'rub down.'
So I am not going to lie to you, Sports massage is not a relaxation massage and at points can be quite painful. This is because during Sports Massage we are trying to relieve knots and muscle tension through trigger point therapy and other techniques. This can be quite painful during, but with the increased blood flow to the muscle and release of muscle tension from the body, it has great benefits. You may not feel particularly relaxed during your sports massage, but with the stress released from the body and the muscle returned to a relaxed state; many clients feel much better 24 hours afterwards.
4. If you are sat at a desk all day or have bad posture.
As said before, you don't have to be really active to need a sports massage. Actually the majority of working people really need a sports massage. People who sit for long periods of time at a desk can have postural issues where certain muscles shorten and other lengthen causing strain, stiffness and permanent postural changes. A sports massage can help bring a person back into the correct posture and help prevent and counteract these permanent postural changes from happening.
If you would like to book in for Sports Massage Therapy and experience the benefits for yourself I currently run appointments in Cheltenham. Send a message to 07593272102 to get yourself booked in.