Do You Know the Physical Effects of Sports Massage?

Massaging refers to the art of rubbing and kneading body muscles and tissues using hands. It is often meant to relax the muscles and relieve them from pain. It increases blood flow to the tissues, supplying them with oxygen and nutrients. Several studies have established that body massage has a lot of health benefits. The most notable one is lessening back pain. It also facilitates recovery from injuries

Nevertheless, it is important to mention that massage therapy should not be taken lightly. It can have some negative effects if poorly conducted. That is why you should seek the services of a certified and licensed massage therapist. And now we have introduced a new term. Who is a massage therapist? You need to be cautious about the person offering you massage services. A massage therapist refers to an individual who is certified and licensed for carrying massage. Do you need one? Specialists from My Home Therapy offer professional services across the UK.

While many articles cover the benefits of various types of massage, there are some effects that you need to be aware of. If you often do massage, this is not something new to you. But if you are new to massage, you need to be aware of these effects. In our discussion today, we want to focus on sports massage. What are the physical effects of sports massage? Do you know them? We know you will be happy to learn about this. And so, we begin with a brief overview of sports massage.

What is a sports massage?

This massage therapy meant for individuals who often take part in sports or related activities. It mainly designed to deter injuries or get the body ready for sports activities. It helps individuals recover from injuries, or perhaps workouts, relatively faster. Basically, divided into the following three aspects:

•    Pre-event Massage

•    Post-event Massage

•    Maintenance Massage

The effects of sports massage

Sports massage has significant effects on individuals. Even if not injured, people participating in sports can significantly benefit. There are so many effects of massage, some physical and others physiological. The following are some of the physical effects:

•    Reduces swelling. Sports massage is among the best ways of reducing the swelling. It significantly helps to alleviate the swelling, though it actually depends on the degree of pressure applied to the affected body part. It stimulates the vessels due to the pressure applied and aids the pumping mechanism. This has the effect of boost the circulation of blood to the limbs, boosting lymphatic drainage. In addition, this action increases the supply of oxygen and nutrients, eliminating the chances of fatigue and soreness.

•    Lessening scar tissue. In case a person sustains an injury, scar tissue may form as healing takes place. The muscle that has sustained an injury may lose its suppleness and this upsurge stiffness. If this type of massage is applied appropriately on the affected muscle, it facilitates the separation of fiber and disintegrates the scar tissue. What is the effect of this? Well, it increases the level of performance and suppleness in the affected muscles and tissues.

•    Improved blood flow. Sports massage facilitates the circulation of blood. The pressure applied during the session not only compresses but also releases the blood vessels and by so doing, it supplements the pumping of the heart pumping mechanism. The increased pressure creates a vacuum that sucks fluid via the vessels and this can be very essential in the injured or tight body muscle tissue. Basically, a tight muscle cannot serve as a sponge and therefore cannot supply the important nutrients needed for repair. The increased circulation brings more nutrients and oxygen to the injured parts and boosts lymphatic drainage.

•    Stretching. Sports massage has the potential of stretching the tissues that could otherwise not be stretched ordinarily. As we earlier mentioned, during a sports massage, the force applied has the potential of separating the muscle fibers, while the connective tissues. Besides, the stretching can either be longitudinal or lateral.

•    Increases the elasticity of the tissues. Indisputably, hard training has the effect of making tissues hard quite inelastic. This is the reason why hard training often doesn’t give positive results.  A sports massage helps reverse this condition through stretching.

•    Reduces pain. Even though pain results from scar tissue, it may also be caused by tension and some waste products within the body.  Sports massage eases tension in the muscles, dispelling pain easily. In addition, this massage therapy also produces endorphins in the body, something we all need.

•    Relaxation. The best way to relax after having a sport is massaging. Muscle relaxation will make the entire body relax. Heat generation from sports massage also facilitates relaxation.

•    Enhances the permeability of tissues. The pressure applied during sports massage opens the pores on the tissue membranes, allowing the passage of fluid as well as the nutrients. This will make it easier to eliminate wastes such as lactic acid, replacing it with oxygen and nutrients. As a result, recovery from injury is relatively faster.

•    Facilitates micro-circulation. As highlighted earlier, sports massage helps in the circulation of blood, especially in the affected muscles and tissues. Yet there is something in this regard. Apart from enhancing circulation, it also opens the vessels and expenses them. This allows for easy passage of nutrients.

The Bottom Line

From the effects of sports massage discussed in the preceding section, you can give the benefits of this therapy. For instance, we mentioned that it facilitates easy recovery by improving the flow of blood to the muscles and tissues. But there other specific benefits one can reap from the therapy. For example, one can have an enhanced posture and to effectively position himself or herself. It also lessens muscular impairments.

If you have not tried massaging, time is ripe. Talk to your doctor and look for a certified and licensed therapy within your locality. Talk to the therapy about what you want to achieve with through the sessions and you will be assisted in the best way.