Description of Sports Massage

Sports Massage is a form of bodywork that uses Deep Tissue and Swedish Massage techniques specifically adapted to deal with the effects of intense physical exertion on the body. Its primary purpose is to ease stiffness and pain in both muscles and joints, increase mobility in muscles and joints, warm muscle and connective tissue prior to exercise and help in removing toxins and lactic acid after a workout.

This modality is used before, during and after many athletic events. It has been found to enhance athletic performance by keeping muscles at their peak of flexibility and strength, while warding off injury. Massage after great exertion reduces ones level of stiffness and muscle soreness. For some athletes a massage helps keep anxiety at a minimum before competition. The Sports Massage practitioner can use certain techniques to increase body stimulation previous to an event, which increases mental alertness. Regular sports massage sessions have been shown to improve an athlete's speed, strength, endurance and flexibility, as well as shorten recovery time between events.

History of Sports Massage

Sports Massage has been around for thousands of years. The Greeks and Romans were very clear on the benefits of massage on the athletes of their day. Galen (AD 30-200), who was a well-known Roman physician, prescribed massage for the gladiators both before and after exercising. Sports Massage followed a history similar to therapeutic massage (see Therapeutic Massage). In the late 1980's to early 1990's, Sports massage became a modality unto it self with more specific training taking place for the practitioner to be able to address the specific needs of athletes whose bodies are undergoing intense physical exertion and stress.

What to expect from Sports Massage

If the session is done in an office, the office should be professional and comfortable; the atmosphere should be one of privacy and confidentiality. However, a Sports Massage may take place at a gym or in a Doctor's office and because of the nature of the treatment may not be created with a nurturing environment in mind. The location can vary depending on the situation. For instance, in the professional arena the massage may take place in the locker room immediately following the event. During the first session, the practitioner will take a full medical history. This will include filling out a medical history, answering questions posed by the practitioner and the practitioner's observations. The practitioner should review any contraindications or precautions that may be indicated in your specific case. Because of the physical contact required for massage, if the clients has any open wounds or skin rashes the treatment may be prohibited to prevent spreading of infection.

The massage session takes place with the recipient lying on a padded massage table. There are exceptions to this, such as a seated massage. Depending on one's comfort level, you may receive the massage while wearing swimsuits or under clothes but the more common method is without clothing. Regardless, great care should be taken by the practitioners to make certain one's comfort level and privacy is maintained by the proper draping of sheets and blankets. The proper draping procedure allows for only the portion of the body receiving the therapeutic work to be exposed. It is important that there be clear communication between the recipient and the practitioner at all times throughout the session, especially, with regard to the level of pressure being applied, sensitive areas that are in need of special attention and the client's comfort level.

The Swedish and Deep Tissue strokes are applied to the body with special adaptations being made for purposes of sports massage. For the client's comfort, except for strokes designed to create friction, oil or lotion is used to make for a smoother stroke. In many cases, these oils are all natural and are treated with certain herbs to aid in bringing pain relief and decreasing inflammation to the stressed or injured area. If for any reason you find the type or smell of the oil offensive tell the practitioner at once. Some people prefer differing types of oil or even want a cream instead of oil, while others want unscented. It is very important to let the practitioner know your preferences.

Some practitioners start with the client face up while others start face down - this normally is based on the practitioner preference. The client's condition may warrant a full body massage. If the client starts lying face up, the head, face, chest, arms, hands, stomach, legs and feet will be individually worked on. The practitioner will ask the client to roll over so the back, buttocks, back of legs and bottom of the feet can be addressed. However, in many Sports Massage situations, only certain body parts may be worked on. In particular it would be those areas that have received the most stress during the workout or if a particular body part has suffered an injury the attention may go solely to that area.

As in other therapeutic massages modalities, it is best not to eat a large meal before having a massage. It is highly recommended that one drink a glass of water after the treatment session followed by additional glasses in the hours afterwards. This helps the body flush out toxins released by the massage and limit any soreness that may occur. This is even more the case after one has participated in strenuous physical exercise.

The general duration of a massage is 50 minutes to an hour for a full body massage. However, there are sessions, which are as short as 30 minutes or as long as 1 to 2 hours.

Cost

The cost can vary from $55.00 to $125.00 for the 50 minutes to 1-hour sessions. The variation depends on the region of the country and where the treatment is being done. Spa settings are often more expensive than private practices. As practitioner practicing Sports Massage may have many hours of additional training their massage session may be more expensive. Some insurance companies cover massage therapy especially if an injury is involved. There may be restrictions such as a prescription by a physician or that the session must be done by a physical therapist.

Uses for Sports Massage

Today Sports Massage Therapists are commonplace, not just in the professional athletic arena but also in many health clubs and spas. Many professional and collegiate athletic teams employ Sport Massage Therapists on their staffs to help keep their athletes healthy and free of injury. Because this type of massage therapy can improve the athlete's performance as well as prevent injury, most professional athletes receive regular massage therapy. Besides athletes participating in contact sports, dancers, gymnasts, swimmers, skiers, track and field athletes all have found relief using sports massage. With each passing year more and more research is being done on the advantages of regular massage sessions for those participating in any form of physical exercise, not just those individuals at the professional level but anyone working out to improve their health and well being.

Certification

A Therapeutic Massage therapist must have completed in most cases at least a 400 to 500 hour certified program and passed a written and practical exam. (Some states require as little as 300 hours and as many as 1000 hours.) After completion, the practitioner must apply for state licensure. Each state has its own regulations but many require the passing of the national boards. This national exam is called the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Twenty-eight states plus the District of Columbia have licensing requirements in place. In states with no regulations most local cities or counties have their own regulatory ordinances. Most therapists also belong to a professional organization such as the AMTA listed below. These types of organizations require their members to maintain high ethical standards and to continue to take classes to refine and improve their knowledge and skill base.

A number of the agencies listed below may be helpful in locating a qualified therapists because they maintain a list of trained massage therapists. But as in all healing modalities, it is up to the health consumer to verify credentials where necessary. Another good resource is massage schools.

American Massage Therapy Association
820 Davis Street, Suite 00
Evanston, IL 60201
847-864-0123
http://www.amtamassage.org


American Bodywork and Massage Professionals
28677 Buffalo Park Road
Evergreen, CO 80349
800-458-2267
http://www.abmp.com

National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300
McLean, VA 22102
703-610-9015

References / Literature

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