Sports massage

View Schools that offer Massage Therapy Courses.

Athletes and sportspeople win medals and make great achievements. They also place great demands on their bodies. It's no wonder that they are so prone to injury. Sports massage offers remedial support as well as everyday relaxation of the stresses and strains which sports activities can bring. It can also be used to help enhance performance before and after matches and competitions. This is also highly recommended if you have a specific injury or chronic condition which needs addressing.

Although sports massage has been developed with performers in mind, it can offer benefits to all kinds of people. When you go to see a practitioner they will take a case history from you in order to build a picture of what you need from the therapy. If you are a sportsperson you can identify your goals and the aims for treatment. For example, you may be preparing for a competition, unwinding following a competition, recovering from an injury, or wishing to safeguard against injury. Alternatively, you may just be looking to maximize the benefits of your current training regime. A trained therapist will adjust their treatment to fit whichever of these situations is appropriate for you.

Once the case history has been taken you will then be invited to undress in privacy and lie down in a calm, quiet space where treatment can take place. Sports massage can help with circulation, boost metabolism, improve muscle tone and length, address scar tissue, and help to promote a positive mental attitude. It is comprised of a combination of Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy and other techniques. Swedish massage uses five main strokes – effleurage (a light touch), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (tapping), friction (deepest tissue massage), and shaking.

Deep tissue massage uses these five techniques but makes them slower and deeper to help remove adhesions (rigid tissue) and to work on sorting the deep connective tissue. This can bring profound relief from tensions and muscle spasms. Trigger point therapy works on blood flow and restricts blood flow to an area for up to 30 seconds before restoring it. This brings about a pleasurable rush of blood and a boost to circulation.

Generally the therapist will focus on one area of the body which may be causing problems such as a stiff lower back. This means that sports massage is less about relaxation than some other kinds of massage. It is a targeted method for improving performance or alleviating injury or pain.

Therapists working with athletes may give a sports massage shortly before a competition or game. This may be a short, intense treatment within an hour of the event. The practitioner concentrates on those parts of the body that the sportsperson will be using in the game. Likewise they may give a massage treatment within an hour or two of the event ending in order to ease any tensions and pressures resulting from the player's exertions.

Other sessions may focus on helping an athlete to reach peak performance during their training. This is known as restorative sports massage and can help sportspeople at all levels of their games as well as being applicable to non-sportspeople too. Finally, the therapist may work with an athlete to help them recover from pain and injury. This may entail encouraging the development of a range of movement or reducing chronic pain and is known as rehabilitative sports massage. These sessions can all be adapted to meet the needs of non-sports players too and sports massage is certainly recommended if you have an injury or chronic condition or perhaps just want to get more out of your own personal exercise regime.

Schools that offer Massage Therapy Courses

Medical Careers Institute

The program focuses on the medical and rehabilitative effects of massage while conferring an understanding of the art and science of massage therapy. Sound business practices are taught, which prepares students for success in the workplace. The curriculum integrates clinical experience with hands-on work, and students get to know about the care given to patients in different stages of health.

Associate.
Massage Therapy - Associate.
Virginia, North Carolina.

Everest College

Diploma.
Diploma - Massage Therapist - Spa Specialist , Diploma - Massage Therapy - Sports Specialist , Diploma - Massage Therapy , Diploma - Advanced Massage Therapy.
Washington, California, Virginia, Missouri, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada.

Vista College

Certificate.
Massage Therapy.
Utah.

Medix School

At Medix, the Massage Therapy programs helps students learn the necessary entry-level profession, business, and technical skills that they require to be successful massage therapists.

Diploma.
Massage Therapy.
Ontario, Maryland.