Sports massage is ideal to treat injuries and as well as a preventative treatment dealing with the health of muscle and connective tissue, range of movement, tone, symmetry, balance of muscle and quality of posture.

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Sports massage can be used in individuals with a non physical demanding lifestyles, as well as for individual which lifestyles are very physical, to increase performance, drain away fatigue, relieve swelling, reduce muscular tension, promote flexibility and prevent injuries, but above all, it can help prevent those niggling injuries that so often get in the way of performance and achievement, whether is an athlete, ardent keep-fitter or a once a week jogger​.

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Sports massage tends to be deeper and more intense. It is based on the various elements of Swedish massage and often incorporates a combination of other techniques involving stretching, compression, friction, toning, and trigger point response techniques similar to Acupressure and Shiatsu.

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For high competition athletes, there are two types of sport event massage: Pre-event treatment is used as a supplement to an athlete’s warm-up to enhance circulation and reduce excess muscle and mental tension prior to competition. It is tailored to the needs of the athlete and his/her event and can be relaxing or stimulating as appropriate. Post-event massage, on the other hand, is geared towards reducing the muscle spasms and metabolic build-up that occur with rigorous exercise. Various sports massage techniques enhance the body’s own recovery process improving the athlete’s ability to return to training and competition, and reducing the risk of injury.

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Conditions that generally improve with massage as a complementary therapy include:  

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 •    muscle pain and stiffness  

 •    muscle strain  

 •    edema (swelling)  

 •    muscle soreness  

 •    muscle sprains

 •    muscle tension 

 •    sore spots  

 •    repetitive strain injuries    

 •    tendinitis

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Massage improves the absorption of substances within the body tissues. Deep massage causes the pores in tissue membranes to open; this enables fluids and nutrients to pass through. This helps the removal of waste products such as lactic acid and encourages muscles to absorb oxygen and nutrients that aid in recovery.

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 Massage increases blood flow to tissues, but so does exercise. The difference between the way massage increases blood flow is to dilate the blood vessels by stretching them. This enables nutrients to pass through the vessels easier, carrying the nutrients to muscles required.

 

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Massage is one of the best ways for relieving muscle tension. It can help release contracted muscles and lengthen tight ones. The type of muscle tension will have an effect on what type of massage is used. For lighter forms of tension, a gentle touch massage will be used. Whereas deep tissue massage is effective with deeper muscle tension. These techniques will all help to relieve tension. Tension is relieved through circulation being stimulated. This blood flow delivers oxygen and nutrients and is key to helping muscles eliminated waste products.

 

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Massage helps to elevate swelling in the affected area. Depending on the pressure placed on the injured area massage will help to reduce the swelling. Massage stimulates blood flows because the pressure used in a massage technique compresses then releases the blood vessels and supplements a normal pumping action. This increases blood circulation to other limbs which aids lymphatic drainage. Furthermore, this increases nutrients and oxygen. This helps decrease the onset of muscle fatigue and soreness

 

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When an injury occurs scar tissue can form during the healing process. The injured muscle will slowly lose its flexibility and elasticity increasing the muscle’s stiffness. If massage is applied effectively in the direction of the muscle fibre which has scar tissue then it will help to separate the fibres and break down the scar tissue. This will benefit performance and increase flexibility in the affected area

 

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Blood circulation can be improved through sport massage. The pressure exerted by the massage technique compresses and releases blood vessels which supplements their normal pumping action. By increasing pressure a vacuum is created which sucks fluid through the blood and lymph vessels. This is important in tight or damaged muscle tissue as a tight muscle will act as a sponge and won’t provide the vital nutrients that muscles need to repair. Increased circulation has the benefit of increasing the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the affected area and aids lymphatic drainage.

 

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Massage can stretch tissues that could not be stretched in the usual methods. With the forces applied during massage, muscle fibres can be separated and the connective tissues that surround the fibres can be stretched. The fibres can also be stretched in a longitudinal direction as well as lateral

 

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There are a number of physiological and psychological benefits of sports massage. This includes things such as stress reduction, enhanced wellbeing, improved body awareness, pain reduction and relaxation.

 

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Massage can enhance a sense of wellbeing by stimulating the release of endorphins and by reducing levels of stress hormones. These endorphins that are released give a sense of tranquillity and make you feel happy. This is why they’re often referred to as ‘happy hormones’. The release of endorphins will make the individual feel better about themselves and could potentially improve their performance.

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Improved body awareness – Sports massage helps to improve an athlete’s nervous system function. This allows them to have better awareness of their body. If their nervous system doesn’t function correctly or as well as it could this could have a serious effect on their performance. This could cause the athlete to become stressed because they know they’re not performing as well as they should be. Psychologically, massage increases your awareness of how your body actually looks instead of how you think it looks. This can lead to a more positive body image, potentially increasing your confidence and in turn increasing performance

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