From Egypt to China, and from Japan to Greece, many cultures have had a hand in influencing the art of massage. Modern massage techniques have been influenced by principles of holistic health, medical treatment, and reflexology. The Greeks were well known for their focus on physical strength and athleticism, and even Hippocrates himself was known to prescribe massage treatments to help athletes heal. Today, athletic massage is taking a cue from all of these cultures and adding plenty of new data to inform the practice. When paired with a physical therapy routine, massage can work wonders. Read on to learn more about why athletic massage is a key element of physical therapy.
It is so good for your circulation. A session of athletic massage can help to boost an athlete’s circulation. Massage therapists apply techniques such as firm pressure or other targeted movements that can help to stimulate blood flow. Massage helps with the dilation of blood vessels, encouraging healthy blood flow that can better deliver oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. Circulation is key to enhanced muscle performance, healing, and overall health.
Athletic massage can reduce pain and inflammation. An athletic massage involves various techniques that help to increase blood and lymph flow throughout the body. In turn, this encourages the body to heal. Massage therapists may use more intense techniques with different ranges of pressure. These deep tissue techniques can aid in reducing muscle tension, which helps to decrease pain as well. Athletes use their muscles, and all that action can cause a buildup of lactic acid—this can cause some soreness and discomfort; athletic massage helps to alleviate this pain with increased blood flow and healing.
Athletes can improve their range of motion and flexibility. When therapists do athletic massage, they help to break down adhesions or knots in an athlete’s connective tissues that surround the muscles—the muscle fibers and fascia. By doing this, muscles are then able to move more freely, with a better range of motion. Massage is also believed to help your body and brain work together; sensory receptors in the body’s muscles are activated by athletic massage, helping to improve things like coordination, balance, and flexibility.
It can help to reduce the risk of injury. For athletes of any skill level, massage therapy can help to reduce injury risk. Some of the key benefits of athletic massage include increasing range of motion, increasing blood flow, helping speed up recovery time, and decreasing muscle tension. All of these can help an athlete to avoid injury. Through athletic massage, therapists may be able to help athletes with identifying muscle imbalances, which can help athletes to be proactive in reducing their risk of soft tissue injuries like strains and sprains. Overall, massage helps to maintain an athlete’s optimal health and performance levels.
Athletic massage enhances recovery. Delayed onset muscle soreness is something that can plague athletes, causing post-workout or post-game pain. The recovery process is essential for athletes, especially between intense sessions of competition or conditioning. Athletic massage—by increasing circulation and decreasing pain—can help athletes to have a quicker recovery process overall. Many athletes report less fatigue, which is key to a good recovery.
An athlete’s sleep can be improved by massage. If you read anything about health these days, you should know how essential sleep is for overall wellness. For athletes to function at their highest level of performance sleep needs to be more than just adequate; it should be excellent. Massage has been shown to inspire a more restful, relaxed sleep.
It can improve athletic performance. All of these benefits of athletic massage—enhanced muscle function, flexibility, range of motion, sleep, circulation, and overall health—add up to help improve an athlete’s performance level.
Athletic massage goes hand-in-hand with physical therapy. Massage is an absolute complement to an athlete’s repertoire of physical therapy exercises. Physical therapy can be both for prevention and for correction; massage can be an essential part of many athletes’ care.
At ROI, massage is offered for athletes of all levels. Our therapists offer different types of massages for all kinds of muscle issues. Whether you are experiencing work stress, life stress, chronic pain, overuse, or injury, ROI has experienced therapists that can tailor a massage session to suit your specific needs.
The massage therapy sessions at ROI can include extras like the use of therapeutic hot packs, aromatherapy, analgesic topical balm to relieve inflammation and pain, hypoallergenic massage cream, custom music selection, and a level of pressure tailored to your exact massage needs. At ROI, individual massages can be booked for 30-minute, 60-minute, or 90-minute sessions.
ROI is an advanced physical therapy facility that delivers a science-based approach to help with athletic rehabilitation and performance. We have a team of physical therapists, strength and conditioning coaches, exercise physiologists, nutritionists, and other specialized therapists that use modern technology and training to achieve the best outcomes for all athletes. Reach out to us at 512-962-9141 to set up a session, or go to our website to learn more.