We all need to get ourselves a massage once in a while. However, if you have ever been to a spa or massage therapy center, you’ll know there are many types of massages that are aimed to correct different types of issues.
What is sports massage?
Sometimes it is stress, sometimes it is to shape your fat. It truly depends on what goals and health state you really want to be reaching. If you are having injuries, or accumulated stress, you should probably call My Home Therapy professional massage team to make you feel better.
There are two very common types of massages that you have probably heard of, especially similar but at the same time very different. If you are looking to know what the best one for you is, then keep reading as we outline their characteristics.
A sports massage is aimed at those who practice more intense physical activity. For athletic individuals.
A sports massage:
• Will focus on intervening with the muscles in a way that targets
Speed recovery time
• Improvement of the individual’s performance
• Decreasing the effects that the demands of a specific sport have on the body of the athlete.
• The massages are often focusing on healing sport injuries, or even preparing the body part to prevent such injuries in the future.
• Sport massage therapists tend to be knowledgeable when it comes to the treatment of athletic common injuries, and the muscular afflictions of those who practice sports.
• Sport massages tend to be particularly focused on muscles such as hamstrings or splints.
• A sports massage therapist has to be well-versed when it comes to identifying muscle tightness, or any kind of muscle abnormality. These conditions are likely to lead to an injury, which is why they should be treated immediately.
• These treatments usually begin with a postural assessment and by running through any injuries you may have.
•A sports massage therapist will use several techniques among which you can find trigger point release, joint mobilization and passive stretching. Passive stretching might include:
- soft tissue release
- myofascial release
• Sport massages tend to be uncomfortable and even painful since they are not aimed to be relaxing. Especially when it comes to injuries, you are likely to feel discomfort.
What is a deep tissue massage?
• This is a massage in which the therapist applies pressure to your body, in order to manipulate your deeper tissues. Among them, the muscles.
• A deep tissue massage aims to reduce small and new areas of tension along your entire body. Unlike a sports massage that focuses on older injuries and knots, you might have.
• The treatment tends to produce an increase in your blood flow and the breakdown of muscle mass that has adhered.
• The massage is likely to leave you sore, like when working out, since it might promote the release of lactic acid. The discomfort should ease maximum 72 hours later.
• Deep tissue massages are also usually used to treat injuries, but these injuries are such a whiplash or back strain.
What do you want to achieve with the massage?
• Sport massages have a special dedication to improving your body, they aim to work on your:
Sport performance
Increased flexibility
Decrease injury potential prevention
Decrease and heal injuries
• Sport injuries that qualify for a sports massage are as follows:
Calf strain
Shin sprint
Ankle sprain
Achilles tendonitis
Jumper’s knee
Hamstring strain
Thigh strain
Groin strain
Tennis elbow
• The goals of a deep tissue massage are to:
Reduce bodily toxins
Relieve stress
Boost circulation
Reduce tension
Reduce physical pain
• Always discuss your particular case with the therapist for a more accurate recommendation:
People who get sports massages:
• Serious athletes
• People who train every or almost every day of the week
• Professional athletes
• High school or collegiate athletes
They might use them to reduce the likeliness of muscle cramping. Also for injuries
People who get deep tissue massages:
• Varies more
• Business people for stress release
• Students for stress release
• Whiplash injured people
Precautions to take before a sports massage:
Regardless of the massage you are getting, you should always take the following points into consideration. Now, they are especially important if you are getting a sports massage.
• If you have a muscle rupture or tendon tear do not get a massage, get surgery.
• Day on or two after a strong injury muscle might still be bleeding and shouldn’t be massaged since a massage will bring blood to the area and cause more bleeding and a worsened injury.
• Always pay attention to the doctor’s indications, ask before getting a sports massage
• If you have myositis ossificans you shouldn’t get a massage. In this condition, bone grows into muscle and a massage will only achieve further damage to the tissues. It might even promote abnormal growth.
• If you have any other condition also consult with your doctor.
• Ask the therapist to wash their hands if they didn’t
• They should not talk about other clients with you
• They should guard against emotional involvements
• If the massage therapist was given instructions by a doctor, you and they should always know them and they should be carried out to the letter.
• The therapist should never add or take away any instruction given by the doctor
• Never take a massage while being treated by someone else. If your massage therapist is not the regular one that might damage your treatment and improvement.
Precautions before getting a deep tissue massage:
Do not get a deep tissue massage if you check on any of the following characteristics:
• Recent surgery
• Chemotherapy or radiation
• Bruises
• Inflammations
• Infected skin or infected skin rashes
• Unhealed wounds
• Open wounds
• Tumors
• Abdominal hernia (or really any kind of hernia)
• Fragile bones after a recent fracture or for any reason
• Ankylosing spondylitis – because of pain tolerance
• If you have any other condition, always talks to your doctor before getting a deep tissue massage.
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
