Sports massage is the term applied to the discipline of using massage for the specific benefit of all sports participants. It covers the management, manipulation, and rehabilitation of the soft tissue of the body.
Throughout all aspects of sport the participant can have sports massage administered during conditioning, training, pre/intra or post competition, post-travel, injury prevention and injury recovery. The aim of sports massage is to optimise sports performance. It does this by: assisting in the recovery of serious training or competition; improving metabolic imbalances; reducing oedema; increasing a joint range of motion; keeping soft tissues in a healthy state; helping with pain relief; inducing a relaxed mind set and reducing stress. In addition to massage, manual therapy is any hands-on treatment provided by your physiotherapist.
Treatment may include moving joints in specific directions and at different speeds to regain movement and reduce pain or stiffness. These treatments include joint mobilisation, manipulation, and muscle stretching.
If you are suffering from an injury or experiencing pain then it is appropriate to book in for a physiotherapy assessment prior to any sports massage treatments.
