Massage Styles: Sports Massage

Welcome to post #5 in my series of different types of massages. If you have a specific style you'd like to see covered or have a question about any style I cover, feel free to leave a comment and I will address it for you!


When the term 'Sports Massage' is heard, people think of a very technical form of bodywork saved for elite athletes or Olympians. That's not entirely true- by definition Sports massage is the science of applying soft tissue manipulation to increase athletic performance and speed the recovery process from injury, so you can see it's not just for professional athletes.

A History
Although forms of massage and bodywork have been around for over 5,000 years, recordings have shown athletes in the first Olympics in Greece using bodywork to help them prepare for- and recover from- events. Sports massage gained popularity in America after the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. A Finnish runner named Lasse Viren (the 'Flying Finn') set a world record time in the 10k and it was discovered that he received daily massages to help his performance. Runners in the U.S. were immediately interested in using Sports massage in their own training, and pretty soon massage became a part of Olympic teams, professional and college teams, and many other marathons and sporting events.

Different types of Sports massage
Sports massage is broken down into two basic categories- Event massage and Maintenance massage. Event massage is used to assist the athlete prepare for competition, prevent potential injury, and recover from heavy exertion. Event massage can be done before, during, and after an event.

• Pre-event: assists a normal warm-up routine by increasing blood flow and literally warming up the muscles using basic massage strokes, range of motion, stretching, and joint mobilization. It can be non-specific (focusing on the entire body) or very specific (focusing on areas that are used during their sport.) Lasts 10-20 minutes and is fast-paced.
  
• Inter-event: used during or between events. Techniques used should focus on increasing blood flow to help with muscle fatigue and cramping. Lasts 5-15 minutes and is fairly gentle- no deep work is done.
  
• Post-event: usually done within 4 hours after the event for the greatest benefit. Focus is on assisting in recovery. This can also help identify any potential problems or injuries before they get worse and bring an early end to an athlete's season/career. A cool-down routine should be done to allow the body to relax before the massage or else the body can perceive it as a continuation of the workout. Techniques for relaxation are used and first aid such as ice, if needed. Lasts 10-20 minutes if done immediately after event, up to 30-90 minutes if done over an hour after event. Light to medium pressure.
  

Maintenance massage
This is routine maintenance performed on an athlete. It can also be referred to as rehabilitative or restorative massage. The focus of maintenance massage is helping the athlete maintain optimum performance. This could include recovering from injury, returning to pre-injury health, preventing further injury, and reducing pain and dysfunction. The goals of each session are dependent on the athlete's total health, the sport they compete in, and the time during the season. This massage typically lasts from 30-90 minutes and is moderate to firm pressure.

Sports massage is a much-needed type of therapy in this area with the Utah Summer Games, St. George Marathon, St. George Ironman, Huntsman Senior Games, and all the outdoor activities there are to enjoy. If you're looking for a way to increase your performance, gain a competitive edge, or recover or prevent an injury, I highly recommend finding a massage therapist who can do Sports massage.