Sports Massage Isn't Just For Athletes

The modern history of sports massage started at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris

. Paavo Nurmi from Finland brought a personal massage therapist to the running competition and won 5 gold medals. Nurmi claimed that his training program included this special massage treatment.

This type of massage has long been popular in European Countries and is a primary source of care for many different types of athletes.

Only in the past decade has sports massage has really become accepted and readily promoted and used in the United States.

It is primarily used to assist athletes in getting their bodies ready for optimal performance, recover after a big event, or function well during training. Sports massage emphasizes prevention and healing of injuries to the muscles and tendons.

Sports massage is a type of Swedish massage that stimulates circulation of blood and lymph fluids.

This technique usually includes:

1.Pre-event: brief, invigorating massage given within an hour of event incorporating rocking and compressions.

2. Post-event: calming massage incorporating slow compressions and stretches.

The physical effects of sports massage include:

Pumping: The stroking movements in massage suck fluid through blood vessels and lymph vessels. By increasing the pressure in front of the stroke, a vacuum is created behind. This is especially important in tight or damaged muscle tissue as a tight muscle will squeeze blood out like a sponge, depriving the tissues of vital nutrients and energy to repair.

Improve tissue elasticity - Hard training can make tissues hard and inelastic. This is one reason why hard training may not result in improvements. Massage helps reverse this by stretching the tissues.

Opens micro-circulation - Massage does increase blood flow to tissues, but so does exercise. What massage also does is open or dilate the blood vessels and by stretching them this enables nutrients to pass through more easily.

Sports massage have many benefits...

Improves performance

Energizes pre-event and relaxes post-event

Reduces muscle soreness and fatigue

Improves recovery time after a workout

Injuries are minimized

Promotes faster healing after injury

However you don't have to be a professional athlete to reap the benefits from this treatment modality. It can help you with injuries, chronic pain or restricted range of motion.

by: Mara Concordia

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