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Sports Massage Techniques.
Each sport and athletic event uses muscle groups in a different way. Sports massage therapists are familiar with each muscle, the muscle groups and how they are affected by the specific movements and stresses of each sport.
A good Sport Massage Therapist will have a variety of techniques at his disposal to provide the best treatment for each individual client.
Sports massage therapy is often based on Swedish massage and frequently includes the use of one or more of the following techniques:
Swedish Massage
Deep massage, muscle specific applications of the standard effleurage, petrissage, vibration, and tapotement techniques.
Soft Tissue Release (STR)
The STR technique stretches muscles, breaks adhesions within the muscle fibres and soft tissue structures and realigns them into the correct position within the muscle.
Muscle Energy Techniques (MET)
The MET technique stretches muscles, breaks down and strengthens scar tissue adhesions. This technique encourages a state of relaxation which allows the muscle to stretch beyond its current ability, and to be held in a stretched position, in order to release tight and restricted muscles.
Neuromuscular Technique (NMT)
This technique retrains the body’s nervous system by nerve inhibition. NMT promotes a state of relaxation in the muscle fibres being treated, which has a knock on effect throughout the whole muscle. This reduces the level of tension within the muscle area being treated.
Connective Tissue Massage (CTM)
This technique breaks adhesions between the connective tissue or fascia (which surrounds every tissue structure within the body) and the tissue structures underlying the fascia so that they are able to move freely and independently of one another.
Remedial Massage
This massage technique initially involves postural assessment of the client and when necessary joint assessment to evaluate where the clients problems lie, and what is causing the client discomfort. Once the cause of the problem has been diagnosed, the therapist will then set about working on the relevant muscle areas to correct the problem.
Compression Massage
Rhythmic compression into muscles used to create a deep hyperaemia and softening effect in the tissues. It is generally used as a warm-up for deeper, more specific massage work.
Cross-Fibre Massage
Friction techniques applied in a general manner to create a stretching and broadening effect in large muscle groups; or on site-specific muscle and connective tissue, deep transverse friction applied to reduce adhesions and to help create strong, flexible repair during the healing process.
Trigger Point Techniques
Combined positioning and specific finger or thumb pressure into trigger/tender points in muscle and connective tissue, to reduce the hypersensitivity, muscle spasms and referred pain patterns that characterize the point. Left untreated, such trigger points often lead to restricted and painful movement of entire body regions.
Lymphatic Massage
Stimulation of specialised lymphatic drainage pathways, which improves the body’s removal of oedemas and effusion.
Friction
This is the deepest technique used in massage and is targeted at specific areas of soft tissue damage, such as scar tissue and adhesions. The therapist will use a finger, thumb, or elbow to friction or use a rocking movement to the scar tissue area with deep pressure being applied.