What Happens To Your Body During a Sports Massage?
A sports massage may be a formidable weapon in the arsenal of a sports performer nearing the edge of his/her physical capabilities or a victim of repetitive strain needing to reduce the pain. However, have you ever realized just what exactly happens to your body during a sports massage? What is the difference from a classical massage? Why is it sworn to by so many professionals?
This introductory guide will demystify the science and sensation of Sports Massage Abingdon, outline the physical changes your body undergoes, and help you see how it can help injury recovery, promote flexibility, and improve performance.
What Is Sports Massage?
Sports massage is simply a specific kind of massage style used on people who engage in physical activities. As opposed to relaxation massage, which aims at relaxing the mind and the body, sports massage involves dealing with muscles that are put under strain and used regularly as a result of sports or exercise activities.
It consists of such techniques as deep tissue work, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, stretching, and friction techniques. It may be applied before or after the event, in training, or in a rehabilitation plan.
The Core Goals of a Sports Massage
Before we dive into what happens inside your body, it's helpful to understand the key goals of a sports massage session:
- Improve blood circulation
- Enhance flexibility and range of motion
- Break down scar tissue and adhesions
- Reduce muscle soreness and tension
- Prevent injuries
- Speed up recovery from injuries
Each of these goals contributes to the physiological changes you’ll experience during and after your treatment.
The Physical Changes in Your Body During a Sports Massage
Let’s now explore exactly what happens to your muscles, blood vessels, lymphatic system, and nervous system during a sports massage:
1. Increased Blood Flow and Oxygen Delivery
The musculoskeletal system works because the circulation is increased. The continuous beating, contraction, and stretching of the muscle cells facilitate the flow of blood within the clogged vessels.
- Why this is a benefit to your body: An increased amount of oxygen and nutrients can reach exhausted muscles.
- Result: Increases healing and reduces fatigue.
Since your therapist applies targeted pressure, especially in those muscle areas that are tight or knotted, the blood vessels dilate (in other words, they open up so that more blood flows to whatever part they are feeding). This gets rid of toxins and metabolic wastes such as lactic acid, which accumulates when exercising.
2. Activation of the Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system is in charge of transporting body wastes and toxins. However, the lymphatic system does not engage any pump as the circulatory system does; it relies on the muscle motions and pressure.
- This effect on your body: Sports massage can aid the manual stimulation of lymph flow.
- Result: Augments detoxification capacity and reduces edema or swelling.
This is particularly beneficial when there is a possibility of athletes who may develop inflammation following exercises or may have fluids within the body.
3. Disrupting Adhesions and Scar Tissue
Heavy practice or motion could result, after some period of time, in scar tissue and muscle binding, bands of rigid tissue that result in rigidity and painful spasms.
What it does to your body: These adhesions reduce your movement, and a possibility of an injury can arise.
Outcome: Sports massage helps to break them down, thus enhancing functionality and flexibility.
Deep pressure and friction can be applied to these areas by your therapist. Although the muscles being worked on in this component of the massage might be a bit painful, it is essential to the long-term sustainability of muscles and to avoiding injuries.
4. Relieving Muscle Tension and Spasms
Players tend to have stress in certain areas of the body. The mechanism of Sports massage is to work by locating and relieving tension on the muscles and primarily on overused or tired areas.
The implications of this on your body: Muscles relax and increase in length.
Outcome: Less pain and tightness, together with increased freedom of movement.
Moreover, massage helps to prevent a pain-spasm-pain cycle because it prevents nerve impulses to the continuous contraction of muscles.
5. Better Range of Motion and Flexibility
The muscles, tendons, and fascia may shorten or lock up as time goes by. The massage used in sports may include active and passive stretching activities, extending these structures, which your therapist applies during a sports massage.
- What this could do to your body: Greater joint flexibility and mobilization.
- Outcome: Enhanced performance as an athlete and lower chances of being injured.
It is especially useful prior to a competition or hard training session since it warms the body up to the movement.
6. Neurological: Calms the Nervous System
Though not necessarily a relaxing experience within the connotation of a traditional spa center, sports massage is soothing to the nervous system anyway. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest phase), which lowers the level of cortisol and leads to relaxation.
- What this does to your body: Decreased stress and anxiety levels.
- Outcome: Better mental sharpness, sleep, and life.
It also aids in the recovery of the body after a stressful competition or training phase.
Is Sports Massage Painful?
The question, which appears to be one of the most frequently asked by newcomers, is, “Will it hurt?”
To a degree, there should be some discomfort, as the sports massage is deeper and more specific than the Swedish one, in case of working on tight points or adhesion breakage. Nevertheless, it should not be agonizing. Never stay quiet during the session with your therapist.
A tip: You can get sore after a massage; however, it is supposed to go away within 24-48 hours.
Stay hydrated, do some light stretching, and do not do vigorous exercises immediately after the massage to give your body some time to relax.
Medical Conditions that Sports Massage can Help
Sports massage can be used by anybody, even a non-athlete. It works best for anyone who has physically demanding activities, a lot of activities, or even chronic problems with muscles.
There are some prevalent illnesses that sports massage aids in the following ways:
- Tendinitis and bursitis
- Plantar fasciitis
- Sciatica
- IT band syndrome
- Frozen shoulder
- Tension headaches
- Backache
- Runner’s knee
- Strains and sprains of the muscles
Why Choose Sports Massage in Abingdon?
Assuming you are in or near Oxfordshire, having a Sports Massage in Abingdon not only makes it convenient, but it also puts you in the environment of trained professionals who know exactly what the local clubs, teams, and individuals need out of the sports massage treatment.
Kennington Osteopathic Practice integrates clinical skills with specialized massage therapy to complement your individual objectives, whether you are going to an event or healing an injury. They are practiced at sports massage, osteopathy, and rehabilitation; the practitioners have been trained to apply a holistic approach in treatment and performance.
How to Prepare for Your Sports Massage?
To get the most out of your session, here are some tips:
- Stay hydrated: Helps with toxin removal.
- Avoid heavy meals before the session; you’ll feel more comfortable.
- Wear comfortable clothes: You might be asked to stretch or move.
- Communicate your goals and discomforts: Let your therapist know about any injuries or sensitive areas.
- Give feedback during the massage: The pressure should be effective, not painful.
What to Expect After the Massage?
After your sports massage, your body will begin to heal, regenerate, and realign. Here’s what you might experience:
- Increased flexibility and ease of movement
- A sense of lightness or energy in previously tense areas
- Mild soreness in deeply treated muscles
- Improved sleep and reduced stress levels
- Enhanced focus and athletic performance
These effects can be long-lasting when sports massage is integrated regularly into your health routine.
Final Thoughts
Sports massage is neither an athlete phenomenon nor an athlete-friendly concept. Through being aware of what occurs in the body during a sports massage, one acquires a sense of the significant levels of physiological and psychological changes that it has on the body.
If you just find yourself chronically tight, are approaching a marathon, or just want to maintain a physical edge in your body, a Sports Massage in Abingdon may be a perfect addition to your overall body care routine.
Are You Willing to Experience the Pleasure of a Sports Massage?
Being on the road to recovery following an injury, or just looking to take your performance in a chosen sport to greater heights, our team at Kennington Osteopathic Practice can and will assist. Whether you are an active runner, an athlete, a business executive, or anyone with tension, aches, and pains, book your Sports Massage in Abingdon today and feel the healing hands of a natural difference.
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Sophie specialises in providing pain relief and self management techniques through the use of hands on therapy and health care expertise.