Sports Massage is More Than Healing an Injury

Today’s realisation - sports massage is more than healing a muscle injury.  Picture the scene…you are a dedicated tennis player who gets so much enjoyment and physical exercise from competing in a game several times a week.  Suddenly, for no apparent reason, your lower back starts to give you pain when you bend and twist.  The next time you play a game of tennis, any kind of movement from your back including twisting, reaching up with your racket and bending forward to hit the shot once again gives you pain.  Your confidence is shattered and you are very disappointed and worried about why your lower back has suddenly starting to give you pain. 

It will be ok, the pain will go away in a few days…so you take a few days rest.

The following week, your lower back pain is still causing problems so it’s time to seek further advice.  Sports massage is the ideal initial treatment.  Any good sports massage therapist should be able to assess your injury and treat the soft tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments) around the surrounding area of pain.  Sometimes, where the pain presents itself is NOT where the injury is coming from!!!  The mechanics of the body can be rather complicated.

After a few sports massage treatments your lower back pain starts to ease.  However, you are left feeling nervous about playing again, just in case the pain returns. 

The real value of sports massage therapy is not only the treatment plan but the confidence that it can give you in going forward.  The injury (or sometimes just simple muscle tension) happened for a reason…and the good ole’ saying “prevention is better than a cure” really takes on a meaning.  After your assessment and treatments, your sports massage therapist can prescribe corrective exercises, stretches and strengthening movements.  One of the best ways to prevent future problems is to have ‘maintenance’ sports massage on a regular basis – once a month is a good starting point.

If you are serious about training correctly, playing and competing in sport, sports massage will not only heal an injury, but it can also give you the confidence to REALLY enjoy your sport.