Sports Massage Therapy
Origins:
Sports massage has originated in earlier periods of history. The ancient Greeks and Romans combined massage and exercise in their athletic training. Various Asian cultures also developed forms of massage for dancers and for students of martial arts.
As a formal practice, however, sports massage began in the Soviet Union and Communist countries in the 1960s. Soviet teams were the first to have a massage therapist travel with them and work on their athletes on a regular and ongoing basis. With the increase in sports and cultural exchanges, the concept of sports massage moved to Europe and the United States in the 1970s.
Over time the benefits of sports massage became accepted, and sports massage became a part of the training regimen, first of professional athletes, then of college and amateur athletes. Today sports massage has gained recognition as a specialty by the American Massage Therapy Association.
What is Sports Massage?
Sports Massage is a special form of massage typically used before, during, and after athletic events to prepare the athlete for peak performance, to drain away fatigue, to relieve swelling, to reduce muscle tension, to promote flexibility and to prevent injuries.
Sports massage is a generic term for three different types of massage associated with athletic performance. Each type of massage has it's own benefits and uses different techniques. Depending on the needs of the athlete, a variety of techniques are used including classic Swedish strokes, cross-fiber friction, pressure-point work, and joint mobilization.
Sports massage therapy includes:
Pre-Event
Pre-Event sports massage helps warm up the muscles by stretching them and making them flexible for optimal athletic performance. A pre-event massage also stimulates the flow of blood and nutrients to the muscle, reduces muscle tension, loosen the muscles and produce a feeling of psychological readiness.
Post-Event
Post- event sports massage helps reduce the swelling, loosens tired, stiff muscles; helps maintain flexibility; promotes blood flow to the muscle to remove lactic acid and waste build-up; and reduce cramping
Maintenance
Maintenance sports massage is done at least once a week as a regular part of athletic training programs. Maintenance massage increases the flow of blood and nutrients to the muscle. It also keeps tissue loose so that different layers of muscle slide over each other.
Impact:
Massage can help these conditions, but it should never be used to replace skilled medical care:
muscle pain and stiffness
muscle strain/sprains
edema (swelling)
muscle soreness
muscle tension
sore spots or repetitive strain injuries
tendinitis
People who suffer from the following conditions or disorders should consult a physician before participating in a sports massage:
acute infectious disease;
aneurysm;
heavy bruising;
cancer /hernia;
high blood pressure
inflammation due to tissue damage;
osteoporosis;
phlebitis;
Varicose veins; and certain skin conditions.
Individuals who are intoxicated are also not good candidates for sports massage.
Training & certification in Sports massage therapy must include a course in general massage from a school accredited by the American Massage Therapy Association/Commission on Massage Training Accreditation/Approval (AMTA/COMTAA) or their State Board of Education. They must then complete an additional training program approved by the AMTA National Sports Massage Certification Program. Many sports massage therapists also complete the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.
