Posts Tagged ‘Massage’

Hot stones sports massage part 1

Marq James, demontrates techinques used in a hot stone massage

Massage – One Form of Necessary Sports Jobs?

We know that not everyone has the physical and mental talents needed to become a professional athlete. So what’s the next best thing? Why, sports jobs that constantly bring you into contact with professional athletes, of course. And one of the most necessary of sports jobs is being a massage therapist for professional athletes.

Why become a massage therapist?

Though it does not carry the same prestige that a professional athlete may enjoy, being a sports massage therapist is still an important job that no sports team can do without. No serious professional athlete can survive the rigors of regular sports competition if he lacks the services of a good sports massage therapist.

Why is sports massage needed by athletes?

A sports massage therapist can aid athletes who are going through overcompensation and adaptation. Simply put, overcompensation is when the athlete has recently undergone stress overload (a usual occurrence in regular training and sports competition proper) so he overcompensates so that he will be prepared for the same or higher level of stress in the future. Adaptation is when the athlete is specially trained in coping with a certain type of stress. For example, a sprinter is used to running in short bursts over short distances so he needs to adapt to that.

A sports massage therapist will manipulate soft tissue (such as the hamstrings of a sprinter) prior to and after the exercise so that the athlete can experience less muscle tension and pain. Another benefit is that waste products can be eliminated from the body of the athlete, especially via the lymphatic system because of massage. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is lessened through massage as well. In the end, treatment via sports massage allows the athlete to gain better flexibility and posture.

Where can sports massage therapists be employed?

Since sports massage is needed by both recreational and professional athletes, sports jobs like that of sports massage therapists are offered in both recreational and professional sports venues. You can find work in local gyms and community sports centers if you target recreational athletes for your service. If you favor working with professional athletes, you might want to apply with teams affiliated with professional sports organizations. If you get really, really lucky (or just have good networking skills) you might be able to find work with a particular professional sports athlete as part of his personal care team.

What other services does a massage therapist provide?

Aside from massage, a massage therapist might also help the professional athlete with the treatment and management of sports injuries, exercise rehabilitation and therapy, and helping plan the sports nutrition program of the professional athlete.

The advances in the 20th century as far as sports medicine is concerned have helped foster demand for sports massage therapists as one of the more valued sports jobs. Of course, you may need to train for this position before you can be considered by a professional sports organization, but it promises to be a great type of job (if you enjoy working with athletes.)

Sports Massage Therapy

Sports Massage is a specific type of massage which is generally rendered before, during, and after athletic events to help prepare the athlete for desired performance, to relax the nerves and prevent injuries. This type of massage can be rendered only by a professional who has a thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology and particularly the muscular and skeletal systems.

Sports Massage works deep to eliminate toxins embedded in muscle fibers, remove adhesions, and minimize scar tissue buildup. Muscle lengthening in sports massage helps restore a range of motion and overall flexibility. Sports massage also leads to improved circulation which aids better cell nutrition, greater elasticity of muscle fiber, and reduced recovery time.

Sports massage is a blend of Swedish massage and Shiatsu specifically designed to cater to the needs of professional athletes. 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.

Types of Sports Massage

Sports massage therapy includes pre-event, post-event, maintenance and rehabilitation techniques that promote greater athletic endurance and performance, reduced chances of injury and faster healing.

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. A pre -event massage is best done up to two days prior to the main event.

Post-Event

Post- event massage focuses on relieving muscle soreness, minimizing the effects of fatigue and reducing the stress levels in the body. It also helps reduce swelling, maintain flexibility, promote blood flow to the muscle to remove lactic acid and waste build-up and reduce cramping. This also helps faster healing.

Prevention

This is more of a maintenance massage which can be done at least once a week as a regular part of athletic training programs. Preventive massage increases the flow of blood and nutrients to the muscle and helps repair small tears due to strenuous physical activity. It also keeps tissue loose so that different layers of muscle slide over each other.

Rehabilitation

Sports massage is also used as a last resort in the event of injury. Sports massage helps rehabilitate by minimizing the adverse effects of scar tissue and adhesions caused to the athlete and helps regain lost flexibility and strength.

Techniques in Sports Massage

There are three main techniques of massage frequently used in sport, namely effleurage, petrissage and frictions. Most of the massage techniques ensure the main pressure is directed towards the heart to increase the venous and lymphatic flow. The strokes also ensure that excess pressure does not cause any damage to blood vessels. While effleurage is a preparatory background stroke, petrissage allows detail work on the body in releasing tension followed by friction.

Benefits of Sports Massage

The benefits of sports massage impact the physical, physiological and psychological levels. A state of well being is achieved only when all the three aspects are in balance. Here is a compilation of the key benefits attained at each level through a sports massage:

Physical effects of massage are:

• Deep massage causes the pores in tissue membranes to open, enabling fluids and nutrients to pass through enabling removal of waste products such as lactic acid.

• Deep massage encourages the muscles to take up oxygen and nutrients which promote faster healing

• Sports massage stretches muscles to release tension or stress caused due to excess physical activity

• Sports massage helps break down scar tissues which usually affect the muscle, tendons and ligaments which impair performance.

• Sports massage helps improve elasticity of tissues.

Physiological effects of sports massage are:

• Sports massage helps reduce pain.

• Muscles are relaxed after a sports massage

Psychological effects of sports massage include:

• Reduced levels of anxiety and stress caused due to relaxed muscles and nerves.

• Sports massage stimulates a sense of well being and health.

Sports Massage Therapist

A sports massage therapist must be trained & certified in Sports massage therapy from a school accredited by the American Massage Therapy Association/Commission on Massage Training Accreditation/Approval (AMTA/COMTAA) or their State Board of Education. A professional therapist may also have completed 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.

Other Suggestions

People who suffer from the following conditions or disorders should consult a physician before under going 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.

Open wounds

Muscle ruptures or Tendon ruptures

Contusions

Burns, Chilblains and Broken bones

Periostitis

Rheuatoid Arthritis and Gout

Bursitis

Myositis ossificans

Thrombosis

Artificial blood vessels

Bleeding disorders such as heamophillia

Tumours

Melanoma

Sports Massage For Sports Injuries

Suffering an injury from sport is inevitable for professionals and amateurs alike. Whatever your chosen sport, be it football, golf, tennis, cricket or running, you will undoubtedly pick up the odd niggling injury or something more serious. Sports massage has become an important element not only for sports training and competition, but also for the prevention and treatment of sporting injuries.

Obviously prevention of the injury is better than treatment but the majority of injuries in sport are caused by overuse, misuse or abuse of the body. Many sports injuries are avoidable by proper preparation before an event (warming up) and easing down after an event (cooling down). Sports massage therapists tend to see most injuries as a result of failure in coordination; this is particularly true at the beginning of the sporting season when the athlete’s expectations exceed their ability. Sports injuries also increase near the end of an activity when fatigue affects coordination or in the opening minutes of the match or event when stretching hasn’t been performed properly. So what are some of the common sports injuries and how can sports massage help?

Many sporting injuries are a result of a sprain or strain. A sprain affects the ligaments (the bands of elastic tissue that hold joints together and limit movement) and a strain affects the muscles. A common sports injury treated with sports massage is a sprained ankle. When the ankle turns inward and under the leg, the outside ligaments are damaged (over stretching or tearing). The injury will require first-aid to begin with followed by rehabilitation and strengthening. During rehabilitation, sports massage can be employed and the sports massage therapist will use a method called ‘friction massage’. This method reduces the development of scar tissue or breaks down any built up scar tissue that has already developed.

Anyone who has watched a football match or an athletics event would have at some point seen the footballer or athlete pull up grabbing the back of their leg. This is a common sports injury known as a hamstring strain. There are three hamstring muscles that flex the knee joint and extend the hip. The strain occurs when the hamstring muscles are at their maximum length (when the tibia is stretched out and the foot is about to strike the ground). The symptoms are a short sharp pain at the back of the leg followed by spasms, swelling and bruising. Sports massage treats hamstring injuries using deep tissue massage techniques. A method called ‘petrissage’ can be applied to separate and realign muscle tissue preventing scar tissue from forming. This sports massage method also encourages better circulation of blood and fluids to the area aiding healing and recovery time.

Runners, dancers or anyone involved with sports that require jumping will be aware of a sports injury known as ‘plantar fasciitis’. This injury is an inflammation of the tendon that runs over the arch of the foot (which can sometimes rupture). Symptoms of the injury include pain under the inside of the heel or around the outside border. Stretching the plantar fascia tendon is an important part of rehabilitation and strengthening. Sports massage reduces tension in the tendon by applying deep pressure stroking movements to stretch out the fibres.

These are just a few of the sports injuries that a sports massage therapist can help you with. Sports massage should play an important part in your regime whether you are suffering with an injury or not. A trained sports massage therapist can also educate you on stretching exercises and footwear to help keep your body in good condition before, during and after physical activity.