Sports Massage Tulsa is a specialized form of massage designed for athletes and individuals who participate in regular physical activity. It improves flexibility, reduces soreness, and enhances the body’s natural healing process.
It also helps to break up lactic acid that builds up in the muscles, causing stiffness and soreness. Learn more about the benefits of Sports Massage:
Athletes at any level – from weekend warriors to professionals – know that incorporating sports massage into their training regimen helps them perform better and prevents injuries. The specialized techniques used in this type of massage focus on the muscles and soft tissues that are most affected by physical activity. The therapist will work with the client to create an individual treatment plan that addresses specific areas of need.
In one study, subjects who received massage between high intensity sprint cycles had a lower time to completion and decreased perceived muscle fatigue. Massage can help reduce lactic acid, increase blood circulation, improve range of motion, and decrease injury risk.
Flexibility is key to athletic performance, as it allows the muscles to move freely and decreases the chance of injury. Sports massage uses stretching and petrissage (tapping) techniques to increase flexibility by elongating the muscle fibers, breaking down scar tissue, and increasing joint mobility. The therapist can also identify any muscle imbalances that may be contributing to tightness, so they can correct them.
Getting regular massages can help athletes maintain a consistent training schedule, which can lead to better long-term performance and potentially extend their competitive careers. This is because getting a massage after a workout or event can prevent muscle soreness and help the body recover more quickly between training sessions.
Massage can also help break down and remove any metabolic wastes such as lactic acid that builds up in the muscles after an intense workout or game. This is what causes the sore, achy feeling that many people experience the day after exercise. When lactic acid is broken down, it can be cleared faster by the liver and reduce muscle soreness.
Finally, a good quality of sleep is essential for the athlete’s mental health and well-being as well as for optimal performance. Getting regular massages can help the body relax and go to sleep easier, which is important for reducing stress and maintaining a healthy mind and body. This is because a cluttered and stressed brain can lead to impaired performance and cause distractions during a game or workout.
Faster Recovery
Sports massage is a powerful tool for athletes to reduce injury risk, speed up recovery time, and improve performance. It improves muscle function, flexibility and range of motion, while also helping to manage pain and stress.
Athletes push their bodies to the limit and often experience physical stress and pain as a result of intense training sessions, competitions and overall daily activities. This is where regular massages become an essential part of the athlete’s recovery routine. Studies have shown that incorporating regular sports massages into an athlete’s schedule significantly decreases post-exercise soreness and increases muscle efficiency.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is a typical issue faced by athletes after a workout or competition. Sports massages help alleviate DOMS by reducing inflammation, improving circulation, and breaking down adhesions that form within the muscles. The most effective time to receive a recovery-focused massage is within 24 to 48 hours after a workout or event. Massage techniques such as effleurage (light stroking) and petrissage (kneading) are used to relax the muscles, increase circulation, reduce muscle soreness and accelerate recovery.
Sports Massage promotes flexibility and joint mobility by elongating tight muscle fibers, breaking down scar tissue, and increasing joint range of motion. This enables athletes to perform movements with ease and agility, reducing their injury risk while unlocking new levels of athleticism.
Prevents Injuries
By identifying and addressing areas of tension, muscle imbalance and overuse, sports massage dramatically reduces the incidence of common athletic injuries such as sprains, strains and tendonitis. By enhancing circulation, decreasing inflammation and improving muscle and tendon elasticity, athletes can train harder, more frequently and with greater confidence.
The calming and relaxing nature of sports massage triggers the release of endorphins, our body’s natural mood enhancers, promoting relaxation, reducing stress and facilitating quality sleep. This, in turn, boosts athletic performance by providing a well-rested and focused athlete.
Note: Glad advises that those with certain medical conditions, including deep vein thrombosis, open wounds and skin infections should avoid getting a sports massage or at least opt for a lighter treatment. Additionally, anyone who has had recent surgery should check with their doctor before receiving a massage.
Prevents Injuries
Nowadays, kids start playing sports at a much earlier age and as a result, they develop their skills at a quicker pace, which also means that they have higher chances of injuries. Sports massage helps prevent injuries by helping the body heal and improves flexibility, enabling your muscles to perform at their best.
Studies have found that receiving a pre-event massage improves performance indicators such as vertical jump height, muscle strength and sprint speed. This is due to the fact that the massage increases the blood flow to the muscles, thereby, enhancing their flexibility and overall agility. Additionally, sports massage is beneficial post-event as it reduces muscle tightness and aids the recovery process by easing soreness and inflammation.
During the course of a sports massage, your therapist may use techniques like friction, cross-fiber friction and trigger point therapy to address the underlying muscle tension. This helps to break down adhesions and scar tissue in the muscle fibers, thereby, increasing flexibility and reducing pain. This in turn, lowers your risk of injury, especially during training sessions or during competitions.
Aside from improving flexibility, sports massage also improves oxygenation in the tissues of the body. The increase in oxygen enables muscles to utilise energy efficiently and enhances cellular exchange within the muscle, making it less likely for injuries to occur during an event or game.
In addition to oxygenation, sports massage also aids in the elimination of toxins from the body by increasing lymphatic flow. This helps the liver to flush lactic acid and other waste from the muscles, thereby, preventing soreness.
It is important to note that sports massage is not recommended for people with bleeding disorders or low platelet counts, along with those who are pregnant or have cancer. However, Glad explains that lighter types of massages can still provide benefits to active people with these conditions.
In order to reap the full benefits of sports massage, you should book a session with a licensed therapist who is experienced in this type of massage. A professional therapist will be able to identify the areas of your body that need the most attention and target them accordingly. They will also be able to advise you on the best technique and pressure to apply during your session.
Promotes Mental Relaxation
A regular sports massage is not only an excellent way to relieve stress, but it is also a great way to relax and recharge the mind and body. The human body responds to touch in a deeply instinctual way and when a professional massage therapist manipulates the muscles and tissues of the body, it triggers the release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural “feel good” hormones. These hormones help to reduce anxiety and stress levels and increase serotonin and dopamine, which promote a feeling of well-being and relaxation. This is why many people report a profound sense of calm and relaxation after a Sports Massage session.
Sports Massage also stimulates the lymphatic system, which helps to remove toxins from the body. The deep kneading and stroking techniques of a sports massage can help to activate the lymph nodes and increase the flow of lymph fluid, which can then be filtered through the bloodstream and eliminated from the body. This can be helpful for reducing toxins that are caused by inflammation, such as in the case of an injury.
Another important benefit of sports massage is that it can help to increase flexibility and range of motion in the joints. This is helpful in preventing injuries because tight muscles can restrict movement and cause pain and discomfort. In addition, regular massage can help to prevent muscle spasms by reducing tension and relaxing the muscles.
Sports massage can be used as an effective pre-event warm up, which can help to prepare the muscles for a workout or competition by increasing flexibility and reducing the risk of injury. It can also be used after a workout or competition to help speed recovery and reduce soreness.
If you are looking to optimize your performance and reduce your chances of injury, incorporating sports massage into your regular routine is highly recommended. It can help improve your flexibility, range of motion, and injury prevention while promoting stress relief and a balanced mood. However, it is important to communicate openly with your therapist and stay hydrated before and after the massage to ensure optimal benefits.