Is sports massage for me?
Yes, more than likely! Sports massage is a hands on technique that uses stimulation to deal deeply and efficiently with the muscles and nervous system of your body. As a result this provides more relaxation than holistic massage.
It is called ‘sports massage’ simply because it is a style of massage that all kinds of athletes use to help improve their performance and keep any injuries in check. We may not all be Olympic champions, but we do all face challenges – not only physical ones, but mental and emotional too – so it is important that we give our bodies the same quality of treatment as the professionals!
Sports massage can help relieve aches and pains for everyone: whether you’re an elite athlete, full-time parent, keen gardener, driver or even a stressed-out, desk-bound office worker, the treatment can be tailored to meet your individual needs.
Here are just a few conditions that can be treated with sports massage:
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Muscular pain
Stress
Sports injuries
Accidental injuries (such as whiplash)
Headaches & migraines
Stiff neck
Frozen shoulder
Sore shoulders
Back, neck & shoulder pain
Hip & knee pain
Sciatica
Tendonitis
Arthritic pain
Work-related overuse injuries (such as RSI)
Sport-related benefits
Sports massage can also help you to:
Improve performance
Recover more quickly from training and competition
Train more intensively
Prepare for competition
Lower the risk of injuries
Reduce the impact of any injuries sustained
Prevent/break down formation of scar tissue
Speed recovery from injuries
Increase body awareness
What to expect
When you attend your first appointment, we will carry out a thorough questionnaire and assessment. This is nothing to worry about: it is to ensure that sports massage is the correct and safe course of action for you, and that we give you the appropriate tailored massage.
We will examine your posture to build up a picture of what areas of your body we need to work on. Depending on your specific requirements, we may carry out passive, active and resisted muscle tests to identify where muscle tightness, weakness or imbalances exist. If we feel alternative treatment is required, either before or after the session, we will refer you to the relevant professional.
Your appointment will last 1 hour, unless previously arranged otherwise, so please make the most of your time by arriving promptly.
For the assessment and massage, clients should wear loose, comfortable clothing and underwear. Towels are used to cover you during the massage and will be moved to gain access to the area(s) that need treatment; so your modesty will be preserved at all times, and your clothing protected from the massage lotion used. To ensure your skin is cared for and you leave the massage grease free we use skin friendly lotion which has a neutral pH level and is hypoallergenic.
Sports massage may cause some discomfort as tight or injured muscles are treated. For the treatment to be effective you need to be relaxed and feel comfortable, so we will maintain communication with you during the session. This allows you to stay in control of your treatment.
You may feel some post-massage soreness in the muscles that have been treated, which is a good sign that the body is responding well to the treatment and is healing well.
After the massage, I may recommend you carry out specific exercises and stretches to assist the rehabilitation of injuries. It’s also a good idea to drink plenty of water, as this stimulates your body to get rid of the extra metabolic waste products that the massage has helped to drain from your muscles into your blood and lymphatic systems.