Most people who have trained, used the gym, participated in sport, netball, football, cricket, tennis, hockey,
athletics, dance, have all potentially, at some point, considered the benefits of how massage might help their performance.
It’s sometimes considered a luxury, but when top-level sportspeople have massage as a consistent part of their routine, does it not make you think that, actually, as an amateur athlete, we could all benefit from the benefits of massage?
But what is massage? Massage is a variety of techniques used by a Physiotherapist, Massage Therapist or trained professional, and these techniques that are used might be something called effleurage, petrissage, trigger point therapy, all applying the hands of the therapist onto the body of the receiver of the massage in an order to help the performance. But how does it do that?
The purpose of sports massage is to:
- Enhance performance
- Prevent injuries
- Aid recovery
The physical benefits have been documented and proven to be such things as improved circulation and blood flow, reduced muscle tension and soreness, enhancing flexibility and range of motion.
This can all help prevent injuries as the body is able to work at its optimum level without restrictions. This will enhance performance.
So with all the available science, we know that at least, the lowest potential improvement will be a an increase in blood flow which will assist the body in supplying injured tissue with the nutrients it requires to recover better, whilst at the same time removing the waste products of metabolism, such as lactic acid away from the tissues so the body can eliminate them through natural body processes. It is lactic acid which is the cause of those aching limbs in the hours after activity, the dreaded DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.
It’s also going to help increase muscle relaxation and readiness for action. The application of massage to the body will facilitate the athlete to be able to stretch, focus and prepare for activity, gradually increasing their availability to call up on that muscle tissue to do what it is designed to do, move your body, and strengthen your body.
Massage can also help to improve something called your proprioceptive system and thus your body’s own awareness. The proprioceptive system is a wonderfully brilliant system that allows your body to know where it is in space (that’s not outer space by the way). For example, most people are aware that their foot is on the end of their leg, it’s the proprioceptive system that tells you this. We have countless receptors throughout the body which constantly feedback to the brain where your body is in space, and again, it’s ability to move again. This heightened sensory input helps the brain better coordinate muscle activation patterns, leading to more precise and efficient movement patterns during activity.
Massage is also going to help faster recovery between training sessions as it removes the byproduct of activity, which is lactic acid. As an athlete, sports person or enthusiastic amateur taking responsibility for their own nutrition, hydration and appropriate rest all these factors will contribute to improve the athletic overall performance.
There are also psychological benefits such as stress relief and relaxation, because really most of us will enjoy the time spent relaxing whilst having a massage and as an added benefit of this it can only provide improved mood and mental well-being, and it will enhance our focus and concentration.
So as amateurs we spend time and money on the equipment that we think will help us in our quest for improved performance, so why would you not invest in your most important piece of equipment, your body. But we tend not to. Why do YOU think this is?
Importance of incorporating sports massage into training routine as part of your ongoing routine will depend on the frequency and timing of your training sessions, how often you train, what sort of exercises you do. The more you are training, the more you will benefit from the massage.
Massage frequency of course, might be different for different sports, such as endurance sports or strength training. It’s also helpful to consider the experience of your physiotherapist to help you get the best from your sports massage.
At Midlands Physiotherapy, we like to consider all the reasons why you might be experiencing your pain, or restriction or lack of movement, and in many cases that pattern may be repeated for a number of occasions. When we are treating you for your sports massage, this is where our knowledge and experience can be significantly different to others who provide massage in a non-medical or performance setting. The reason that you attended for the massage in the 1st place would suggest that the pain or discomfort Its likely happening for a reason, not “just because”. And so we look to using our experience and expertise and determine the cause of this repeated pattern or problem we can then come up with a plan to keep this to get rid of this or keep the restrictions to an absolute minimum.
That is why we devised the Dynamic Performance Massage. Massage yes, but with the additional elements of analysis of your movement patterns, your training patterns and occasionally your walking pattern and come up with a solution to how we are going to prevent, where we can, this constant irritation to your training.
The Dynamic Performance Massage takes approximately an hour of your time, we will discuss your current issues, and your current training plan, we will assess your muscles and joints and with you and your ability to perform your activity to the best of your ability at the centre of the discussion put your Dynamic Performance Plan together, in writing, for you to take away with you, comfortable in the knowledge that you have a plan and a way to constantly improve your training, and also keep you in the gym, on the court or on the field of play.
The Midlands Physio Dynamic Performance Massage
Into your overall wellness training routine. It becomes part of it almost like your diet, your hydration, and your strength mixed with your cardio, mixed with your functional training. Think of it as more care to help your improvement and recovery to achieve your fitness goals.
Hit the link below, so we can arrange a free call, to determine if a Dynamic Performance Massage will help you improve your training, raise your training standards and make you feel a whole lot better too.
Don’t just take our word for it…..
John Pryce. HCPC. mCSP. Bsc(Hons) Chartered Physiotherapist.
John is a Physiotherapist with decades of experience in the field of muscular-skeletal physio. He has worked in Private Practice after spending over a decade as a Physio in Professional Football, working with International Footballers, Major Trophy Winners, including the World Cup, European Championship, Premier League. His Professional Footballers had unlimited access for their Sports Massage, and whilst the not everyone requires massage every day, he sees it as common sense that people who are active in the gym, at their chosen sport such as golf, tennis or football can do nothing but benefit from Sports Massage, which is why he devised the Dynamic Performance Massage as an upgrade to a simple Sports Massage.
If you would like further information to help make a decision in choosing Dynamic Performance Massage you can read appropriate articles here, including the views of The National Institute for Clinical Evidence.
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng193/documents/evidence-review-9
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng59/chapter/Recommendations
https://time.com/5085140/massage-health-benefits/
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