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Sports Massage Therapy in DENVER —Benefits of Sports Massage
DENVER SPORTS MASSAGE THERAPY - BENEFITS OF SPORTS MASSAGE
In addition to feeling good, Sports Massage has many benefits:
- Increases blood circulation, lymph flow and supply of nutrients to tissues
- Enhances elimination of the metabolic by-products of exercise
- Reduces the heart rate and blood pressure
- Reduces muscle tension
- Improves flexibility
- Relieves pain
- Reduces the chance of injury
- Shortens recovery time between workouts
- Improves range of motion and muscle flexibility, resulting in improved power and performance
WHAT IS SPORTS MASSAGE?
Sports Massage is a special form of massage & is typically used before, during, & after athletic events or activity. The function of the massage is 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. Though Sports
Massage is specifically designed for people who are involved in physical activity, you don't have to be a professional athlete to have one; it's also for anyone who is active
and works out often. The focus isn't on relaxation but on preventing and treating injury and enhancing athletic performance. Developed to help with muscle
systems used for a particular sport, sports massage uses a variety of approaches to help athletes in training -- before, during, or after sports events. You might use it to
promote flexibility and help prevent injuries; or it may help muscle strains & aiding healing after a sports injury.
Depending on the needs of the athlete, a variety of techniques are used which often involve a blend of traditional Swedish Massage and Shiatsu, specifically designed to
treat professional athletes. Sports massage is designed to address those specific concerns and may differ according to the sport the athlete plays.Each type of sport has different demands on the players and each sport uses muscle groups in a different way. Sports Massage can also include pre-event, post-event and maintenance
techniques that help heal strained muscles, promote greater athletic endurance and performance, lessen chances of injury and reduce recovery time.
PURPOSE OF SPORTS MASSAGE
The main purpose of Sports Massage is to alleviate the stress and tension which builds up in the body’s soft tissues during physical activity. Where minor injuries and
lesions occur due to overexertion and/or overuse, massage breaks them down quickly and effectively. It also helps prevent those annoying injuries that often get in the
way of performance and achievement, whether a person is an athlete or a once a week jogger.
OVER-TRAINING
Adequate recovery is also a major factor in avoiding the over-training syndrome. Over-training is characterized by irritability, apathy, altered appetite, increased
frequency of injury, increased resting heart rate, and/or insomnia. It occurs when the body is not allowed to recover adequately between bouts of heavy
exercise. Therapeutic massage helps you avoid over-training by facilitating recovery through general relaxation and its other physiological effects.
REHABILITATION MASSAGE
Even with preventive maintenance, muscles cramp, tear, bruise, and ache. Sports massage can speed healing and reduce discomfort during the rehabilitation process.
Soft tissue techniques employed by sports massage therapists are effective in the management of both acute and chronic injuries. For example, adding lymphatic
massage to the "standard care" procedure in the acute stage of injury will improve control of secondary, hypoxic injury and enhance edemous fluid removal throughout the
healing cycle. Trigger point techniques reduce the spasms and pain that occur both in the injured and "compensation" muscles. Cross-fiber friction techniques applied
during the subacute and maturation phases of healing improve the formation of strong and flexible repair tissue, which is vital in maintaining full pain-free range of motion
during rehabilitation.
