SPORTS MASSAGE

Sports massage is a form of bodywork geared toward participants in athletics. It is used to help prevent injuries, to prepare the body for athletic activity and maintain it in optimal condition, and to help athletes recover from workouts and injuries. Sports massage has three basic forms: pre-event massage, post-event massage, and maintenance massage.

Sports massage is a generic term for three different types of massage associated with athletic performance. Each type of massage has its own benefits and uses different techniques.

Pre-event sports massage is done to help prevent serious athletic injury. It helps to warm up the muscles, stretching them and making them flexible for optimal athletic performance. A pre-event massage stimulates the flow of blood and nutrients to the muscles, reduces muscle tension, loosens the muscles, and produces a feeling of psychological readiness.

Whenever athletes exercise heavily, their muscles suffer microtraumas. Small amounts of swelling occur in the muscle because of tiny tears. Post-event sports massage helps reduce the swelling caused by microtraumas; loosens tired, stiff muscles; helps maintain flexibility; promotes blood flow to the muscle to remove lactic acid and waste build-up; and reduces cramping. In addition, post-event massage helps speed the athlete's recovery time and alleviates pulls, strains, and soreness.

Maintenance sports massage is done at least once a week as a regular part of athletic training programs, although professional athletes who have their own massage therapists may have maintenance massage daily. Maintenance massage increases the flow of blood and nutrients to the muscles. It also keeps the tissues loose so that different layers of muscle slide easily over each other. Maintenance sports massage also helps reduce the development of scar tissue while increasing flexibility and range of motion.

Conditions that generally respond well to massage as a complementary therapy include:

• muscle pain and      stiffness
• muscle strain
• edema (swelling)
• muscle soreness
• muscle sprains
• muscle tension
• sore spots
• repetitive strain injuries
• tendinitis

Massage can help these conditions, but it should never be used to replace skilled medical care.

When in school at Branford Hall Sports massage I received 18 hours of sports massage in Special Populations class. I audited the newly instated 60 hours Sports Massage Class shortly after graduation and getting the CT Massage Therapy license. The focus was on looking at various sports, the training routine, common injuries and creating a treatment that optimized training, conditioning, and prevention of injury. I took the American Massage Therapy Association 16 hours Sports Massage Continuing Education Course and have participated at with the Connecticut chapter in pre and post event massage therapy at many philanthropic sports events.

60 Minutes - $90

90 Minutes - $130