What is sports massage?
Sports massage is a manual therapy that uses a range of soft tissue techniques to both the superficial and deep muscles of the body to prevent and improve imbalances and dysfunctions that can occur in the body.
Sports massage is appropriate for everyone not only athletes. Often our posture or day to day activities can cause us to misuse our muscles and leave us feeling tense, stiff and sore.
The effects of sports massge include:
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relieve muscle tension and stiffness
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increase range of movement
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increase blood supply to the area
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improve lymphatic drainage of metabolites from the area
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reduce pain and inflammation
What to expect from treatment
At your initial consultation, we will run through a case history which helps me to understand your presenting problems and build up a picture of what may be causing your discomfort.
You will then be asked to dress down to your underwear in order for the practioner to undertake a postural analysis of your body and get a full understanding of how the muscles are working. The practioner will assure you patient modesty is maintained at all times.
After the postural analysis the treatment will begin. The treatment will involve the use of grape seed oil but you will be asked if this is acceptable to you. Some aspects of the treatment may be quite tender and sore however, it will never be unbareable and this is sometimes needed to make an effect on the muscles.
After the treatment, the practioner may passively stretch the muscles worked on and give you some home care advice and exercises to do. Immediately after treatment and for a few days after, some patients may feel quite tender and sore but this is completely normal. The practioner will advise you on what to do if this does occur.