Tonia Green, Massage Therapist
Unfortunately, very few of us are able to use our bodies correctly, writes Reading Massage Therapist Tonia Green. The problems occur when tissues become imbalanced and start to cause inefficient movement patterns, caused by poor technique, overuse or tissue injury. If left these can lead to tension headaches, joint and muscle injuries, poor posture, neck, and spine issues etc. There are a few different techniques that a sports massage can use to aid these issues. Here are 5 sports massage techniques, used by the massage therapists at Reflex Spinal Health, that could help you!
1: SOFT TISSUE RELEASE (active):
Soft tissue release targets specific areas of tension within an individual muscle, focusing on adhesion to relieve muscular tension and pain. Soft tissue release can be performed at Reflex Spinal Health by our massage therapists, chiropractors and osteopaths.
THE GOAL OF SOFT TISSUE TECHNIQUE:
- Breaks down or reduces adhesions.
- Improves range of motion.
- Lengthens muscles.
- Decreases pain.
- Restores function.
2: SOFT TISSUE RELEASE (passive):
sports massage techniques
The muscle is place in a shorted position, Pressure is added to restrict the tissue, maintaining pressure the joint closest to the area is moved.
Some of the Benefit of Soft Tissue Massage:
- Reduces inflammation.
- Improve range of motion and flexibility.
- Reduces endorphins
- Decreases muscle spasms and cramps.
- Improves oxygen flow.
- Decreases blood pressure.
- Increases haemoglobin production.
- Enhancement in athletic performance.
3: CONNECTIVE TISSUE MASSAGE:
Differs from many other techniques because it treats the body as a whole rather than focussing on specific areas. Connective tissue or superficial fascia lies beneath the skin and covers the entire body. If you can imagine wearing a morph suit which is too small. In order to stand up or make any movements a great deal of effort would be required, placing large stresses on other areas, not necessarily the site of the actual problem.
Some of the benefits of connective tissue therapy:
- Improvement in autonomic nervous system functions.
- Increase in blood circulation, muscle relaxation.
- Decrease in pain and increase in mobility.
4: TRIGGER POINTS:
Trigger point involves treating points in the muscle to relieve tension. Trigger pointing increases temperature and blood flow through the muscles promoting relaxation. When muscles are relaxed, they can be restored to its full length. Trigger pointing helps restore movement and increase flexibility in the muscles. The massage sometimes uses their thumb or a small tool to really pin point the area.
5: MUSCLE ENERGY TECHNIQUES:
These techniques are a form of assisted stretching. They are made up of post-isometric relaxation (PIR) and reciprocal inhibition (RI).
Sports massage techniques such as PIR target the muscle, finding limit of stretch easing off 20% & contracting against the massage therapist, the guest then relaxes the contracted muscle, and the massage therapist can increase the stretch. This process is repeated several times. RI targets the antagonistic muscle, the guest contracts the muscle while the massage therapist supports the client and then relaxes, the client increases the stretch themselves while relaxed.
Each Massage Therapist will use a variation of these techniques along with many others but they will be best prescribed for each guest.
