A sports person can be aided by sports massage as it manipulates soft tissue. The tissues which connect or support other structures and organs of the body that are not bone are called soft tissue. Tendons, ligaments, skin, fascia (sheathes all the other soft tissues), muscle, fat and connective tissue are all included in soft tissue.

The art of sports massage means that problems and imbalances can be addressed these are most commonly caused by repetitive movements during physical activity. This type of massage can be administered pre or post exercise and has many benefits in both instances.

There are a number of different ways in which sports massage differs to other massage such as holistic or Swedish, it is more to do with muscular alignment, the effects of certain sports and how massage can decrease these effects rather than physical and mental relaxation.

Sports massage has many advantages! Increases circulation of blood, which in turn aids muscles to loosen and recover. Helps to remove any toxins and wastes from the body, including lactic acid if present. Increases the amount of oxygen and nutrients to the area which aids recovery. Is beneficial pre, intermediate and after sports events as it can be relaxing or stimulating. The chance of injuries are decreases as the right muscles are warmed up. Helps remove adhesion between muscle and skin or muscle and bone, leaving the customer feeling ‘looser’. Removal of knots and prevention of knots which may occur from repeated movements and limited stretching. Increased flexibility in joints. By allowing proper alignment of muscle fibres the recovery of any sports injuries is increased. Allows muscular balance, posture and overall coordination to be improved. Helps athletes to return to training/competing quickly.

The client is able to control the pressure of the massage completely. There is communication between the sports masseuse and client to ensure problem areas are highlighted and dealt with in the most appropriate way.

Many athletes, irrespective of age, physical fitness or amount of training can benefit from this kind of massage. In many sports it is imperative that the sports person returns from an injury as fast as possible, massage can help to decrease the recovery time. If the injury is not professionally treated during recovery then they may feel the injury for the rest of their lives, but with a suitable sports massage this won’t happen.