Why Get Sports Massage?

Why is Clinical Sports Massage essential to your active lifestyle?

Active people have sought different remedies to cope with the physical trauma of exercise and sporting activities for many years. The manipulation of the soft tissues (muscles, tendons and fascia) of the body has remained one of the most popular and effective choices around the world. Clinical Sports Massage can be used both as maintenance, and for injury-specific treatment.

A highly valuable application of Clinical Sports Massage is tissue maintenance. This type of treatment is essential for soft tissue drainage, fibre separation and soothing tissue fatigue. The increase in blood circulation to the muscles, tendons and fascia during treatment helps to redistribute the metabolic by-products of physical activity (this decreases DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness quite dramatically) and encourages soft tissue repair. Russian research has shown that regular maintenance Sports Massage significantly reduces recovery time, which allows increases in frequency of training periods, thus providing opportunity for athletes to maximize their performance potential. This equates to more frequent training and faster skill acquiring, and is applicable to the weekend warrior, the occasional participant, AND the pro athlete. Regular application of Clinical Sports Massage treatment is important, to monitor and maintain tissue health, and address any injury, both minor or major.

Techniques applied during treatment vary by condition, sport and individual. However, techniques can often be more vigorous pre-event, and slightly more soothing post-event.

In injury-specific Sports Massage, treatment usually involves orthopedic-based assessment and treatment protocols. The goal is to help an injured athlete return to activity in better condition, rather than suffering through performance-limiting chronic injuries for several months or even seasons.

It is very important to receive treatment from a qualified therapist when receiving Clinical Sports Massage. Looking for a therapist who understands the physiology and assessment of soft tissue is key in getting a safe and effective treatment. Regulated Health professionals go through years of intense training in reputable schools around the world to truly understand the physiological, anatomical, and pathological aspects of soft tissue injuries and conditions.

Summie Tam is a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) at Sutherland-Chan Centre, Hong Kong, specializing in Sports and Clinical Massage Therapy.

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