Introduction to biomechanics


Sports Massage - An Introduction

Many therapists offer Sports Massage on theirflexibility protocol and strength-training
"Massage Menu" yet few understand what Sportsprinciples utilized to achieve a specific
Massage is about. When a client comes ingoal when treating athletes". He considers
requesting a Sports Massage, some therapiststhat there are three principles that are
merely react by going in deep. Sports Massagevital to understanding what type of Sports
is  so  much  more.Massage to apply to an athlete at any given
time. These principles are:  Timing
Whilst Sports Massage does have some aims in  Technique  and    Intent
common with other forms of massage therapy,
the usual experience in conventional massageThe timing of Sports Massage is related to
is to aim to restore the normal function whenwhen the massage is applied, is it pre-event
someone is injured. But in sport there is noor post-event, during a maintenance period or
'normal' and athletes are always looking topossibly post-injury when rehabilitation is
improve and gain a competitive edge. Mostrequired. The technique refers to what
athletes aim to reach a level of performancemassage/stretching/strengthening methods the
they  can  never  achieve.therapists employs to attempt to achieve the
intent,  the  desired  outcome.
A Sports Massage therapist has great
potential to assist the athlete to becomeThe intent of pre-event massage is to warm up
better, rather than merely normal. Inthe muscles and to get blood flowing through
striving to be better, the athlete attemptsthe muscles. The massage techniques generally
to systematically increase the level ofused are petrissage, vibration, percussion,
training and thereby subjecting the body tocompression, muscle broadening strokes, etc.
gradual and controlled overuse. This overuseWith post-event massage, the intent is assist
can often create imbalances and problems inin the recovery process by increasing venous
the soft tissues, which if ignored may becomeand lymphatic circulation to assist with
chronic. Clearly this may hinder theremoval of metabolic by-products and thereby
athlete's performance and/or rate ofdecreasing muscle soreness so that the
improvement. Sports Massage can become a keyathlete can return to full training faster.
ingredient in an athlete's success and thisThe massage techniques would include
is why top competitors incorporate it as aneffleurage, compression, petrissage, passive
integral  part  of  their  training  regime.movements and light stretching. The intent of
maintenance massage is to keep the athletes
So what is Sports Massage? McGillicuddy(1)muscles and tissue in optimum condition and
defines Sports Massage as "the specificis generally scheduled at a regular frequency
application of massage techniques,(be it weekly or fortnightly), closely
hydrotherapy protocols, range of motionmarried to the athlete's training program.



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