massage for athletes, an athlete getting sports massage by a professional

Sports preparation can be extremely taxing on your body. You spend months training for “the big day”, and your performance, whether you’re sprinting, wrestling, or playing football, can take a toll on your health. 

Injuries are, unfortunately, often synonymous with sports. If you’re an athlete, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced an injury, from something as small as a hamstring pull or as significant as torn ligaments. The good news is you can completely recover from many injuries with the right approach. 

Recovery sports massage is one of the most effective ways to mobilise your body’s soft tissues and target muscle groups. Whether you’re a professional athlete or you practise sports as a hobby, you can benefit from sports massage for back pain and other aches and body pains.

Our expert massage therapists at The Somatic Clinic are qualified to offer sports massage for recovery, rehabilitation, restoration, and prevention of injuries. We offer personalised solutions for your requirements.

This blog post will explore the benefits of sports massage for recovery and rehabilitation. 

1. Improved Performance

If you’re involved in physical sports, sports massage can help to enhance your performance. Special massages for athletes encourage healthy elasticity of muscles, reducing the risk of injury and enabling them to achieve their peak potential. 

By getting a sports massage before your sporting event, you can increase the blood flow in your body, especially in your extremities. This helps in the proper distribution of oxygen and nutrients, which reduces cramping and the chance of injury. 

Massage also helps relax your mind and body and prevents joint and muscle tightness, while increasing your range of motion. 

Recovery sports massage is also extremely beneficial for the post-performance stage. Many sports professionals need to be training almost every day and must maintain their performance throughout the season. Sports massage can help release muscle tension and lactic acid build-up, reducing downtime and facilitating consistent performance.

2. Reduced Pain

We’ve all heard the popular saying, “no pain, no game”, however, chronic pain can impair your ability to perform and increase your susceptibility to injuries. Chronic pain can even affect your quality of life and lead to mental health issues such as stress or depression, and, at worst, substance abuse for pain management. 

Sports massage for back pain, or any other pain, along with osteopathy, physiotherapy, and balanced nutrition provide a more holistic approach to pain management. 

Massage helps to release muscle tension and knots. By getting regular massages, you can improve your blood circulation and oxygenation even in the deep-set muscles. This helps your body remove toxins and deliver essential nutrients, and reduces inflammation. A relaxing massage can also lead to the release of endorphins, which can reduce stress and the production of cortisol (the stress hormone).

Specialised massage for athletes can help relieve the pressure on compressed nerves, which can often lead to excruciating pain. Also, if you’ve undergone surgery, recovery sports massage can help with the production of collagen and prevent the formation of scar tissue.

3. Less Stress

In professional sporting events, the stakes are high, especially for elite athletes representing their country or county.  Even a lower-tier sports event can take a toll on your mind, leading to stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep. 

Massage for recovery isn’t just limited to physical relaxation, but can also support your mental health. Sports massage helps to relax your mind and body, lowering your heart rate and helping you to sleep better. 

Professional sports massage therapists know the right techniques to promote the release of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, making you feel relaxed. Massage can indirectly contribute towards improving your concentration and mental agility. 

4. Better Recovery

Recovery is as important as training, especially for professional athletes. Recovery sports massage targets the soft tissues, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, promoting better blood circulation and oxygenation and causing the lactic acid formed in the muscles to break down. 

After strenuous physical activity, your muscles become weak and tight. If you try to exert yourself without first strengthening and relaxing your muscles, you’ll be more prone to injury. 

Massage for recovery is often recommended by doctors to athletes who have undergone surgery. By getting regular massages, the recovery period is expedited and the healing is faster, allowing you to bounce back faster.

Injuries or surgeries can often lead to the formation of scar tissue, which can hamper your movement and flexibility. Massage can help to break down scar tissues and realign them into the most optimal shape, allowing for better recovery.

5. Flexibility

Athletes need to be flexible to perform at their best on the field. However, repetitive movements and lifting weights to enhance their strength can often lead to compromised flexibility. 

Massage for athletes can help to enhance flexibility. Deep tissue massage can be effective for unravelling knots and stretching the muscles, which can strengthen the muscles and improve their flexibility. This will allow you to perform more confidently with a reduced risk of injury. 

Sports massage for recovery can also be used by non-athletes. You might be surprised to know that it’s especially beneficial for people who lead a sedentary lifestyle, making them more likely to experience pain and loss of flexibility. By getting regular massages, you can improve your flexibility and reduce aches and pains. 

Choose The Somatic Clinic for Sports Massage

Whether you are looking for recovery sports massage or sports massage for back pain, you’ll find the right service for you at The Somatic Clinic. We offer personalised and therapeutic sports massage for athletes and non-athletes, combining different techniques such as compression, stretching, and myofascial release, to offer you relief, relaxation, and better recovery.As well as taking advantage of our sports massage service, you can also work with our experienced osteopaths, physiotherapists, and nutritionists, to develop a complete health plan. For a lower intensity workout, that improves flexibility, strength and balance, get in touch to book one of our yoga classes!

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