What is Sports Massage Therapy?

Sports massage is specifically tailored to help athletes before, during, and after training. The benefits of sports massage include improved recovery, performance, and injury prevention. It can be useful for anyone who exercises regularly to increase flexibility and enhance athletic performance.

Sports massage may not be the most relaxing form of massage however, it works by stretching tight muscles, stimulating inactive muscles, and improving the condition of the soft tissue. Techniques used in sports massage include:

• Effleurage (stroking)

• Petrissage (kneading)

• Compression

• Friction

• Tapotement

• Gliding

• Stretching

• Triggerpoint

Benefits of Sports Massage for Athletes of All Levels

Sports massage has been suggested to help prepare an athlete for competition, as a tool to enhance athletic performance, to help the athlete recover after exercise or competition, and as a manual therapy intervention for sports-related musculoskeletal injuries.

Many sports massage benefits have been reported on the basis of experience and observation alone. These include:

• Increased joint range of motion (ROM)

• Increased flexibility

• Decreased muscle tension

• Decreased neurological excitability (nerves more relaxed)

• Decreased muscle spasms

• Increased sense of well-being

• Decreased anxiety and improved mood

• Better sleep

Who Can Benefit From a Sports Massage?

Sports massage has been associated with significant improvements in flexibility and DOMS. (Delayed onset muscle soreness)

DOMS is muscular discomfort/pain following exercise and normally starts a day or two after a workout. Have you ever stopped exercising and gone back to exercise, and the couple next days are rough on your muscles? Yes, that's exactly what you are feeling, DOMS.

Symptoms of DOMS usually involve reduced range of motion and stiffness when moving, swelling in affected muscles, muscles that feel tender to the touch, muscle fatigue, and short-term loss of muscle strength. Sports massage post-exercise can lower those symptoms of DOMS by increasing blood and lymphatic flow to the areas and reducing inflammation. 

Not only does sports massage help with symptoms associated with DOMS, but it also aids in improving flexibility and range of motion in your joints. Improving flexibility loosens muscles, and increases the range of motion to maintain the health of cartilage and other structures within the joint. Sports massage pre, during, and post-competition can increase your flexibility by preventing the risk of sports-related musculoskeletal injuries. 

Risks and Considerations of Sports Massage

Side effects are very limited and may include tenderness or stiffness for one to two days after a therapy session.

A sports massage therapist can assist with training, and pre-or post-performance goals and can benefit anyone that engages in strenuous, repetitive activities or exercise. This type of massage is not just for elite or professional athletes, but may be used for individuals that perform mild exercises such as walking. 

Here at Eastern Acupuncture and Wellness, we have several credentialed sports massage therapists that are specially trained to work with people with various sports injuries and help prevent future injuries related to your sport or activity of choice.

Sessions with our practitioners begin with a functional assessment which may include asking questions regarding your workouts, range of motion exercises depending on injuries, and muscle testing. Every session is individually tailored to one’s needs and intervention will be addressed after the session. We ask every patient to dress comfortably for a sports massage session (Shorts, a loose-fitting shirt, and a sports bra top).

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Resources in Support of The Use of Massage in Sports Performance

What Is a Sports Massage For? Learn about sports massage benefits and whether it's a good fit for you.

VerywellHealth | By Terence Vanderheiden, DPM

Effect of sports massage on performance and recovery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine | Holly Louisa Davis, Samer Alabed, http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7458-5481Timothy James Ainsley Chico

What Is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and What Can You Do About It?

Healthline | Written By Gail Olson Edited By Amanda Conover

Massage Alleviates Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness after Strenuous Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Frontiers in Physiology | Jianmin Guo, Linjin Li, Yuxiang Gong, Rong Zhu, Jiake Xu, Jun Zou, and Xi Chen