Sports massage, what it entails and why it doesn’t actually have to be painful.
I’m Craig the sports massage therapist at Idyllic Wellbeing. You may have visited or are planning on visiting a sports massage therapist but have no idea what they are doing and why. Below I will explain to you four of the common techniques and how and why they are used. What’s the pros and cons to each technique.
To start us off we have soft tissue release, also known as STR. This is a technique in which the therapist uses their hands to assist stretching of muscle fibres, tendon, and fascia. STR involves repeatedly and quickly stretching small areas of the soft tissue. Precise pressure is applied to part of the muscle which is then moved to achieve a very specific stretch. But what are the pros and cons? It offers the client fast pain relief, greater flexibility in the muscle, improved circulation all while being non-invasive. But of course, we must look at the other side of that and look at some of the potential cons to the technique. The main one is some people may experience soreness or bruising. This is usually temporary and eases after a few days. This is caused by the blood flow being increased to the area. Another con is that it may not be suitable for all conditions or those with a fracture or infection.
The next technique that is commonly used is trigger point. Trigger point therapy is a type of manual therapy that focuses on addressing trigger points, these are points within the muscle that can cause pain and discomfort. The benefits or pros of trigger point therapy are that it can be effective at reducing pain, increasing range of motion, and improving overall function. It can also help to reduce stress and promote relaxation. It can be used to address a variety of conditions, including back pain, neck pain, headaches, fibromyalgia, and other musculoskeletal issues.
Another useful massage technique that we have in our large toolbox is muscle energy technique (MET), which is a manual therapy technique used to address issues with muscle imbalances, joint mobility, and postural problems. This procedure is performed when a patient is asked to contract a muscle for approximately 5-seconds against the resistant force applied by the massage therapist. The muscle contraction is performed by the client 3 to 5 times in a row in the hopes to stretch the muscle further each time. The pros and cons of using muscle energy technique are that MET can help to improve joint mobility by addressing muscle imbalances and restoring proper alignments. Like all of the other previous techniques this technique can still be one that causes soreness but this is less likely. But overall, muscle energy technique can be an effective technique for improving joint mobility and addressing muscle imbalances.
Going onto more of our gentler techniques which you may be happy to know that we can use is myofascial release. Myofascial release (MFR) is a manual therapy technique used to release tension and restrictions in the fascia, which is the connective tissue that surrounds and supports muscles and other organs. To help relieve the tension your therapist will gently massage the myofascial and feel for stiff or tightened areas. Normal myofascial should feel pliable and elastic. If not, then the aim is to massage and stretch the areas that feel rigid with light manual pressure. The therapist then aids the tissue and supportive sheath in releasing pressure and tightness. The process is repeated multiple times on the same trigger point and on other trigger points until the tension is full released.MFR can help to improve range of motion by releasing tension and restrictions in the fascia and muscles. It can help to reduce pain by addressing trigger points and other sources of discomfort in the muscles and soft tissues. MFR can help to improve posture by releasing tension in the fascia and muscles that may be contributing to poor alignment. Although this is a gentler technique the same cons of the above techniques can still be said about this technique.
So interested in getting your aches, pains and old injuries seen to then why not give us a call to discuss your needs? All treatments are designed specifically to you and what’s best to get you feeling the best you can possibly be.