Is Sports Massage for me Is sports massage for me?
Yes, more than likely! Sports massage is a hands on technique that uses stimulation to deal deeply and efficiently with the muscles and nervous system of your body. As a result this provides more relaxation than holistic massage.
It is called ‘sports massage’ simply because it is a style of massage that all kinds of athletes use to help improve their performance and keep any injuries in check. We may not all be Olympic champions, but we do all face challenges – not only physical ones, but mental and emotional too – so it is important that we give our bodies the same quality of treatment as the professionals!
Sports massage can help relieve aches and pains for everyone: whether you’re an elite athlete, full-time parent, keen gardener, driver or even a stressed-out, desk-bound office worker, the treatment can be tailored to meet your individual needs.
Here are just a few conditions that can be treated with sports massage:
� Muscular pain
� Stress
� Sports injuries
� Accidental injuries (such as whiplash)
� Headaches & migraines
� Stiff neck
� Frozen shoulder
� Sore shoulders
� Back, neck & shoulder pain
� Hip & knee pain
� Sciatica
� Tendonitis
� Arthritic pain
� Work-related overuse injuries (such as RSI)
� Pregnancy-related discomfort
Sport-related benefits
Sports and remedial massage can also help you to:
� Improve performance
� Recover more quickly from training and competition
� Train more intensively
� Prepare for competition
� Lower the risk of injuries
� Reduce the impact of any injuries sustained
� Prevent/break down formation of scar tissue
� Speed recovery from injuries
� Increase body awareness
Health-related benefits
Sports massage will also:
� Benefit your immune system
� Enhance your sense of well-being
� Promote relaxation
� Reduce and manage muscular pain/tension
� Increase removal of metabolic waste
� Relieve stress, anxiety and depression
� Relax muscles and decrease muscle spasms
� Develop muscle flexibility and joint mobility
� Boost respiratory function
� Stimulate lymphatic flow
� Increase blood flow
� Treat digestive disorders
� Treat circulatory disorders
� Correct postural dysfunction
What to expect
When you attend your first appointment, I will carry out a thorough questionnaire and assessment. This is nothing to worry about: it is to ensure that sports massage is the correct and safe course of action for you, and that I give you the appropriate tailored massage.
I will examine your posture to build up a picture of what areas of your body we need to work on. Depending on your specific requirements, I may carry out passive, active and resisted muscle tests to identify where muscle tightness, weakness or imbalances exist. If I feel alternative treatment is required, either before or after the session, I will refer you to the relevant professional.
Your appointment will last 1 hour, unless previously arranged otherwise, so please make the most of your time by arriving promptly.
For the assessment and massage, clients should wear loose, comfortable clothing and underwear. Towels are used to cover you during the massage and will be moved to gain access to the area(s) that need treatment; so your modesty will be preserved at all times, and your clothing protected from the massage lotion used. To ensure your skin is cared for and you leave the massage grease free I use skin friendly lotion which has a neutral pH level and is hypoallergenic.
Sports massage may cause some discomfort as tight or injured muscles are treated. For the treatment to be effective you need to be relaxed and feel comfortable, so I will maintain communication with you during the session. This allows you to stay in control of your treatment.
You may feel some post-massage soreness in the muscles that have been treated, which is a good sign that the body is responding well to the treatment and is healing well.
After the massage, I may recommend you carry out specific exercises and stretches to assist the rehabilitation of injuries. It’s also a good idea to drink plenty of water, as this stimulates your body to get rid of the extra metabolic waste products that the massage has helped to drain from your muscles into your blood and lymphatic systems.
Is sports massage for me?
Yes, more than likely! Sports massage is a hands on technique that uses stimulation to deal deeply and efficiently with the muscles and nervous system of your body. As a result this provides more relaxation than holistic massage.
It is called ‘sports massage’ simply because it is a style of massage that all kinds of athletes use to help improve their performance and keep any injuries in check. We may not all be Olympic champions, but we do all face challenges – not only physical ones, but mental and emotional too – so it is important that we give our bodies the same quality of treatment as the professionals!
Sports massage can help relieve aches and pains for everyone: whether you’re an elite athlete, full-time parent, keen gardener, driver or even a stressed-out, desk-bound office worker, the treatment can be tailored to meet your individual needs.
Here are just a few conditions that can be treated with sports massage:
� Muscular pain
� Stress
� Sports injuries
� Accidental injuries (such as whiplash)
� Headaches & migraines
� Stiff neck
� Frozen shoulder
� Sore shoulders
� Back, neck & shoulder pain
� Hip & knee pain
� Sciatica
� Tendonitis
� Arthritic pain
� Work-related overuse injuries (such as RSI)
� Pregnancy-related discomfort
Sport-related benefits
Sports and remedial massage can also help you to:
� Improve performance
� Recover more quickly from training and competition
� Train more intensively
� Prepare for competition
� Lower the risk of injuries
� Reduce the impact of any injuries sustained
� Prevent/break down formation of scar tissue
� Speed recovery from injuries
� Increase body awareness
Health-related benefits
Sports massage will also:
� Benefit your immune system
� Enhance your sense of well-being
� Promote relaxation
� Reduce and manage muscular pain/tension
� Increase removal of metabolic waste
� Relieve stress, anxiety and depression
� Relax muscles and decrease muscle spasms
� Develop muscle flexibility and joint mobility
� Boost respiratory function
� Stimulate lymphatic flow
� Increase blood flow
� Treat digestive disorders
� Treat circulatory disorders
� Correct postural dysfunction
Additional massage therapies Pre and post pregnancy massage
Pregnancy massage works like any other classic massage therapy, however the techniques used are tailored specifically for a mum-to-be. The methods are adapted slightly to ensure the woman's shape and size are catered for with the addition of pillows and support, as well as the massage pressure itself.
How can pregnancy massage help me?
Relief from muscle aches and joint pain
Reduction of swelling in legs, feet and hands
May relieve sciatic pain by helping to reduce inflammation of nerves
Regulates hormones by reducing the ‘stress’ hormones and increasing our ‘feel good’ hormones such as Dopamine and Serotonin
Improves lymphatic drainage and removal of toxins from your body
The deep relaxation achieved during massage promotes better sleep patterns
Hot stone massage
Hot stone massage incorporates the use of warm basalt stones to relax the muscles so a deeper pressure can be used if needed or desired.
Using hot stones allows the tissues, muscles and joints to relax, making it possible for deeper manipulation of the affected areas. This provides the benefits of a remedial treatment, without any discomfort and creates a sense of comfort and warmth.
Hot stone massage assists every cell in the body to receive more oxygen and nutrients while increasing lymphatic flow and eliminating toxins.
The benefits of hot stone massage include:
• Deep relaxation, the warmth relaxes both physically and mentally
• Stress is reduced, relieving mental and physical fatigue
• Circulation is improved and toxins and waste are eliminated more quickly
• The warmth can relieve pain in muscles and joints
