Sports Massage

Sports massage helps in muscle recovery, tension relief and also in the process of reducing toxins (lactic acid) in the muscles.

It is also important in preventing injuries, as it leaves the muscles prepared to be maximally strained.

We usually think it's just for professional athletes, however sports massage is equally beneficial for anyone who practices sports. Even for non-professionals, it can be especially important due to the fact that their muscles are not as well trained, as they will greatly benefit from the muscle preparation that massage provides, as well as the relaxing and repairing effect.

Sports massage consists of several manual techniques applied straight to the muscles as friction, kneading, pressure, vibration, and percussion. It includes too deep transverse friction massage, that it is a movement that is applied transversely to the injured fibers. From here we can infer the anatomical knowledge that is necessary for its correct execution. I will use as an example the case of a partial tear in a ligament, as is so common in ankle sprains. 

When a ligament is torn, the body triggers a series of mechanisms (mainly chemical) aimed at recovering the injured tissue, these mechanisms end up with the formation of new fibers that will replace the previous ones. But, the formation of new fibers is done in an anarchic way if there is excessive rest of the injured ligament (this rest can be due to the immobilization of the joint, or because the person stops making a certain movement because it gives them pain). Anarchic formation not only increases recovery time, it will also form so-called "adhesions" which, as the name implies, are excess fibers that bind tissues together, and in this particular example, adhere the ligament to the bone outside of its insertion point. Adhesions, in addition to causing limitation in movement, can lead to chronic pain.

With the deep transverse friction massage, the formation of new fibers will be done in the right direction and will prevent adhesions from developing. In other words, the recovery from the injury will be much faster and will not bring future limitations, keeping the tissues their mobility. This method is as effective in acute as chronic injuries.

Sports massage is always a good option whenever the person practices sports.