The Benefits and Contraindications of Sports Remedial Massage

Sports remedial massage is a kind of therapeutic massage that combines multiple benefits, taken from old massage techniques and modern medical science. Unlike its name may suggest, this kind of therapy is not exclusively used by athletes. Due to its multiple benefits, about anyone can resort to this therapy to heal certain conditions of their body.

Sports Remedial Massage - What Good It Does to the Body

This kind of therapy mainly focuses on helping the body to recover after injuries, fixing the damages suffered by the muscles, tendons and joints, and enabling complete functionality for the muscles and other soft tissues. The types of injuries it targets are those that happen during exercising, or during the common daily activities.

The procedures that sports massage relies on target multiple biomechanical dysfunctions and holistically fix them. For the body, this means:

• Increased lymphatic drainage, due to the removal of metabolic waste products, commonly known as lactic acid, from the body. This translates into faster healing and the return to the usual training routine;

• Increased amounts of oxygen and nutrients, used by the muscles to recover and regenerate. These supplies positively affect both the quality and the volume of training. The flow of oxygenated blood is sustained by the optimal circulation within the muscles;

• The muscles’ fibers are realigned and the muscles’ flexibility is improved;

• Improved ability of dealing with pain.

Apart from these benefits, which target injuries and provide fast recovery, this therapy also has a prevention role, by strengthening the muscles. The post-event massage stimulates the muscles and increases their performance. The massage techniques also allow for early discovery of potential damages, by palpitation.

The slow massage induces relaxation to the muscles and helps the body recover.

Sports remedial massage does not usually resort to technical devices. This kind of massage is commonly performed with the bare hands, although ultrasounds can sometimes be used in the process.

Stroking movements are performed along the length of the muscles to support circulation, and the kneading of the muscles supports the mobility of the muscular fibers while decreasing the fibrous adhesion in the soft tissue. The frictions realign the collagen fibers and break down the tissue constituting the old scar, eventually allowing the repair process to happen.

Ice can sometimes be used to deal with the pain caused by inflammation and certain exercises may be recommended to strengthen the trouble-causing area at first, and then combat the tension gathered within the muscles.

Although this therapy is highly benefic for most people, if you are affected by one or many of the following conditions, you must not resort to sports remedial massage as a treatment for muscle pain: atherosclerosis, glandular fever, osteoporosis, epilepsy, contagious skin issues, unstable pregnancy, open wounds, skin infections, thrombosis, artificial blood vessels, muscular or tendon ruptures, gout or some other severe conditions.