Sports Massage Therapy - The Benefits For Athletes

Sports massage therapy can be a great help to athletes like Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner of the Phoenix Cardinals football team. The therapy can help athletes prepare for the game, both physically and mentally. Because athletes are prone to injury, take Warner's rough tackle which left him with a concussion or Fitzgerald's blown out knee in a few games, this therapy is used during games, when injuries occur, and after games, to calm the athlete's body. This therapy must be applied by a licensed masseur or physical therapist because of how deeply it affects the muscles and body tissue.

As mentioned above, this therapy is used before games. This is a preparation techniques for the athlete and his body. It helps him prepare to perform at his best during the game. It also helps the athlete be as flexible as possible because his muscles are relaxed and his adrenaline is flowing. His focus can remain on the game, instead of a nagging pain in his leg, which was bothering him before the massage. During the game, a player may need a massage treatment to eliminate any feelings of fatigue they may be suffering form. It could also reduce the swelling of an injury and possibly help eliminate receiving any more injuries during the game. The use of the massage after the game will, no doubt, help the athlete's body relax from the strain, both physical and mental, of the game. It will help the stress and tension, which had built up in the athlete's body during the game, be released from the muscles and tissues.

The benefits of the sports massage therapy are specific to what an athlete needs before, during and after a game. Not only does this therapy slow a possibly erratic or racing pulse, but it also brings the athlete's blood pressure back to its normal levels in a healthy way. It helps the blood flow increase, so that circulation to the limbs and brain return to healthy and normal levels while allowing the lymph flow to follow suit. If any injuries were received during the game, this will help reduce or even eliminate the pain of those injuries, along with any lingering muscle tension left over from the physical activity of the game.

This type of massage therapy is recommended for athletes and not the casual or recreational person seeking a massage. Because this is a mix of a Swedish massage and a Shiatsu massage, the techniques can be quite rough and intense on someone's muscles who are not used to this type of massage. If one is choosing this massage, be aware that it will involve deep tissue therapy, which could hurt.