Sports Massage

Sports and Remedial massage is applied with your goals in mind, meaning we look at what you need and then apply the relevant technique(s) to help you reach your goals. These techniques vary from: finding muscle imbalances which may be the cause of your current issue and offering remedial exercises to correct them; questions about your sports equipment or mechanism of injury; along with treating the tissues which are crying out for attention. Your goals may vary depending on whether you are carrying an injury or are just needing to bring your legs back to life for your next training session.

There is no “best” time to have a sports massage, everyone differs in their needs and responds differently to treatment. As a sports person my general rule of thumb is this: if you have an injury which needs treating, it is best to leave it a few days after your heavy sessions so we can drop into the tissue without you leaving the couch. Muscles are very lively after interval sessions or heavy training loads, because the tissue is over-sensitive at this point we can’t sink into the muscles to relieve the injured tissue. If you are not injured and your muscles are sore post a hard session, then this isa good time to have a recovery treatment to keep you on track with your training plan. If you are treating yourself to a massage for the first time before an event, give yourself a few days for your muscles to settle after the treatment. Regular massage goers know how their bodies respond to a treatment, some bounce off the couch ready for the 100m, others take a few days to bounce back. Err on the side of caution and give yourself a few days to recover, it would be a shame to ruin all that good training.

If time and budget were not an issue, every week. But the reality is they are. So if you are on a budget and treating yourself to a massage, then (as a sports person) I would suggest having the treament prior to your event so you are ready to compete. If you receive regular massage, then keep your goals in mind, if you are unsure, read the answer above, if that doesn’t help we can always tap into our experience as therapists and extreme sports nuts to offer some advice.

Overuse injuries can occur in everyday life and are generally brought on by the things we do repetitively everyday. We will use remedial massage to treat you and look at what day to day activities could be the cause and will give you simple solutions to help with this. Generally making a few small changes can have a big effect.

A brief history is taken prior to the massage including your sports goals or event deadlines. We may do some standing tests and no doubt will review your posture (this we do with your clothes on). The majority of our treatment is hands-on work, however we want to fix you, so may glean as much information from you so we can work out what’s going on.

We use towels during the treatment and would require that you keep your underwear on, however if you feel more comfortable, you can bring a pair of shorts. Stretchy underwear is best, especially if we are treating legs.

A general massage is designed to promote relaxation and overall well-being. It typically involves techniques like gentle strokes and kneading to reduce stress, relieve muscle tension, and improve circulation. In contrast, a sports massage is specifically tailored for athletes and active individuals. It focuses on the muscles and areas of the body that are heavily used in sports or physical activities. Sports massage includes techniques like deep tissue work, stretching, and trigger point therapy.

Sports massage and deep tissue massage are both therapies designed to relieve muscle tension and promote healing. They share the use of deep pressure and targeted techniques to ease pain, improve flexibility, and help with recovery. Both focus on specific muscle groups where tension is present. The main difference between them is their focus and purpose. A sports massage treatment is specifically tailored for active individuals, aiming to enhance performance, prevent injuries, and support recovery related.

A mix of deep tissue sports massage and stretching is included in a sports massage treatment. On the other hand, deep tissue massage is more general, addressing chronic muscle tension and pain regardless of a person’s activity level. It’s commonly used to treat ongoing issues like back pain or stiffness and can be a full body massage or administered only on one area.

It’s essential that a sports massage treatment is performed by a qualified sports massage therapist. A sports massage therapist has specialised training and expertise in techniques tailored to athletes and active individuals. This training equips them to address specific muscle groups, prevent injuries, and enhance performance effectively. While anyone can learn the basics of massage, only a trained sports massage therapist can provide the targeted, knowledgeable care needed to maximise the benefits of sports massage.

Yes, sports therapists often use massage as part of their treatments. They are trained in various massage techniques to help with muscle tension, recovery, and injury prevention. Sports massage therapists use sports massage, which is specifically designed for athletes and active people, to improve flexibility, boost performance, and manage pain. This massage therapy is an important part of their approach, working alongside other treatments like exercise and rehabilitation.