Intro
Massage has been applied for thousands of years in the treatment of various injuries and illnesses. There is even evidence that the Chinese utilized massage for a variety of medical purposes in 2500 BC. Generally speaking, the use of massage therapy has increased considerably in the recent years, not only by spa loving women but also by general public. Sports massages are for the most part customized for professional athletes but in the recent years studies have concluded that they can also be beneficial for everyone whether they participate in some kind of activity or not.
Sports massage has been advocated as the preferred treatment for aiding recovery from exercise, optimizing athletic performance or as an additional treatment to clinical rehabilitation. Furthermore, sports massage can also be applied for preventing or the acceleration of healing sports-related muscle-tendon injuries. To achieve all of the mentioned benefits, physical therapists generally use a combination of massage techniques such as cross-fiber friction, stretching, joint mobilization and pressure point massage.
Improve Heath
People are becoming more and more concerned with their health which can be seen in the lifestyle changes over the past years. Sports massage is on the rising as one of the methods used to regain or maintain health. Apart from the above mentioned physical benefits, there are also psychological effects of massage therapy that can benefit your health. In this modern time where everyone is ruled by everyday stress factors, sports massage has been proven to brighten mood and relieve stress. Endorphins, your body’s natural hormones that relieve stress and pain, are released in the brain during a massage, the same ones that are released when eating chocolate. Even though you may not be one of the people who regularly jogs, you should at least consider sports massage therapy for its psychological benefits that will enhance the quality of your life.
Improve Recovery
Everyone knows the feeling of sore muscles the next day after some kind of intense activity. Toxins known as lactates are building up in muscles which cause soreness and pain. Sports massage has been known to enhance blood circulation and lymph flow which both help remove those toxins from your muscles and contribute to the effectiveness of massage therapy. After the treatment your muscles will feel less sore and painful which helps you recover faster, there will be no embarrassing stair climbing (or precisely crawling) after leg day. Faster recovery from workouts at the gym or some other kind of intense physical activity also boosts motivation which makes you stick to your workout plan longer.
Flexibility can also be enhanced through regular sports massage therapy as it affects muscle and connective tissue. With enhanced flexibility and rage of motion, injuries can be easily prevented as prevention is always the best treatment.
Conclusion
Sports massages are not only for professional athletes but also for everyone who feels the need to release the tension on some sore muscles or even just to relax after a stressful day at work. When performed by educated professionals, sports massage has more benefits than the regular massage at spas or beauty salons. Sports massage therapists can focus on one particular problem like an injury or on regenerating your whole body. Whatever option you may choose, you should definitely indulge in a sports massage once in a while just to improve the quality of your life.