If you’re confused by the term ‘sports massage’, you’re not alone. Many people mistakenly believe that this type of massage treatment is aimed at athletes and sportspeople. In fact, everyone who suffers from muscular pain, discomfort or injury can benefit from a sports massage at the Westway Clinic.
What is sports massage therapy?
Sports massage therapy has its roots in the professional sporting industry where its purpose was, and still is, to physically prepare athletes for sporting events, help them recover from heavy training sessions, treat any sporting injuries and ultimately help to improve performance. Sports massage therapists are now commonplace in all top-level clubs, working in tandem with their medical colleagues to keep athletes in top condition.
But over the years, the application of sports massage therapy has evolved beyond the sporting world. It is now generally recognised as a set of techniques that can be extremely beneficial in the treatment of a range of muscular problems, and not just for people involved in sport. While there are many similarities between general massage therapy and a sports massage, what makes the latter different is that it more specialised and targeted at specific areas of the body where injuries have occurred or weaknesses have developed.
Sports massage consists of various methods of manipulating the soft tissues in the body, concentrating on muscles that are mainly uses, or often become injured, during sports or other physical activity. At the Westway Clinic, our sports massage therapists use different techniques and movements, including compression , gliding, stretching and Swedish-style massage techniques.
Sports massage is also often used to complement osteopathy, reflexology or other physical treatments. Combining different treatments can help to the body heal and normalise muscle function, reduce scarring and tissue contracture, reduce fibrosis and increase joint movement.
Who can benefit from a sports massage?
You don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from a sports massage. Anyone who exercises – in the gym, on a bike, out hiking – will benefit from the targeted techniques used by our sports massage therapists.
What’s more, sports massage therapy can also be helpful for people who have physically demanding jobs, such as builders, plasters, decorators, plumbers, electricians and many others. It is often the case that the repetitive movements in these types of jobs puts a large amount of stress on the muscles, which get tight and overworked and can result in poor posture and acute or chronic pain.
Even sitting at a desk all day can lead to muscle tightness and pain. We treat a large number of people who routinely spend hours behind a desk, working with computers. This can cause posture problems leading to tensions in the neck, shoulders and back which ultimately results in pain.
Finally, sports massage can also help with ongoing pain and discomfort resulting from past injuries. Our sports massage therapists can improve flexibility and ease muscle tension, enabling you to manage your symptoms better.
Get in touch with the Westway Clinic
Having a sports massage can be helpful before and after you train or take part in a sporting activity. We would recommend that you get a massage 2-4 days before the event to alleviate any tightness in your body and get you in the best shape. Afterwards, try to get a sports massage within 48 hours to aid recovery.
Anyone can benefit from regular sports massage treatments which will help keep muscles flexible and pain free and reduce any risk of tightness. Every 4-6 weeks is now generally considered to be a good preventative treatment schedule. To make an appointment at the Westway Clinic, please give us a call on 01737 762990 or 01737 766659, or email frontdesk@westwayclinic.co.uk.
