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Massage Mythbusting
Sports massage is painful
‘No pain, no gain’- not so...
Clients come to me to help them, not hurt them. In any form, massage should never be harmful, physically nor psychologically.
Pain thresholds exist for a reason: pain is a protective reaction of the central nervous system.
Working through a knot of muscle fibres takes time and patience, usually requiring repeated treatment at graded levels, using a variety of techniques for best effect. Rushing the process will only incite a protective tensing reflex, locking the muscle in resistant spasm. Coaxing cooperation from a muscle is far more effective than trying to coerce it. Communication is key to ensure that treatment respects individual pain tolerances.
A degree of residual soreness for a day or so following treatment is to be expected as the stimulated circulatory system rids the body of toxins and the soft tissues adjust and rebalance to a healthier new normal.
Sports massage is solely for sportspeople
So not so!...
Sports massage therapy is beneficial to all- for those with the time and inclination to train and those without.
Everyday activities undertaken by people going about their daily business lead to micro tears within muscle tissues. This is normal and generally unnoticeable, but becomes problematic if left untreated and repetitive demand is made of a weakened structure. What may start as insignificant damage to only a few muscle fibres may quickly progress to a chronic condition, requiring substantially greater remedial therapy and a long recovery period.
Maintenance massage is useful in assessing the condition of all soft tissues, alerting the therapist to malfunctions of which the client may not yet be aware: an early warning system. Further, it serves to break down adhesions(‘knots’ and scarring, for example), restoring glide and elasticity. And who couldn’t do with more glide and elasticity in their life?
Sports massage is the same as deep tissue massage
It’s so much more...
Massage is not about the strength of the stroke, rather the efficacy of the touch.
A sports massage will utilise any of a number of techniques to best resolve an issue.
Stiffness or restriction is not always a problem of the deeper musculature: sometimes the source lies within the fascia just beneath the skin; sometimes what is needed is a lengthening stretch; sometimes a muscle is tight because its counter is weak(dynamic muscles often work in pairs, one to anchor when the other is active), so treating the active muscle will not resolve the underlying problem unless and until the anchor is strengthened. The list of examples goes on….
Deep tissue massage has its place in treatment, but sports massage is more technical, more targeted and far wider reaching in scope.
Massage for Health
You may be responsible for the welfare of children, the elderly or employees, but are you taking time to take care of yourself?
In the boardroom, on the playing field or wherever you conduct your daily life, no-one functions at their best when in pain.
Massage is not simply about relaxing to a state of lethargy- it is about releasing tension to increase mobility, which restores balance to enable activity... both mental and physical. Pressure and anxiety interfere with our ability to function properly- emotionally, mentally and physically. Massage helps to calm the nervous system, reducing stress and promoting intellectual and physical acuity and coordination.
Headache, swelling, sluggishness and muscular and joint pain can all be relieved through massage treatment. Feel better and you will function better... and enjoy life more.
Massage for Performance
Performance means different things in different spheres. Undeniably, no-one performs at their best, mentally or physically, when in pain.
For an athlete, a key purpose of massage is to prevent injury.
Injury prevention is about enabling full muscular power and range of motion to a joint, within safe limits. Competitive athletes strive to achieve beyond standard measure; this is exhilarating but exhausting and often leads to injuries both minor and chronic. Maintenance massage acts as an early warning system in monitoring the condition of soft tissues through a training period, thus identifying adhesions and indications of overuse.
Massage should play an equal role in both the run-up to and recovery from an event. Physical exertion leads to inflammation through micro-trauma and the accumulation of metabolic waste. Massage speeds recovery by stimulating circulation, which in turn speeds muscle fibre repair through oxygenation, flushing waste, restoring nutrients and calming the nervous system.
In the realm of sport, periodic maintenance massage serves a double purpose of instilling confidence to athletes that they are safe to venture to the limit of their capacity in the knowledge that their musculature is in peak condition... or instilling awareness of the limitations of their capacity and the need to contain their effort in order to circumvent injury or speed recovery.
On-site seated acupressure massage services available.
Please contact me to discuss.
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Contact me to book an appointment or to discuss how I can help you
info@healthandperformancemassage.com
07914 802486
If you wish to cancel or reschedule an appointment, 24 hours notice must be given or the full cost of treatment will be payable