Every day more people go to the sports masseur to relieve their pains, overloads, contractures, breaks or muscle twitching, but the vast majority come when the pain is almost unbearable or when it has increased more than usual. The need for sports massage should be understood as part of the training of the person who performs sports on a daily basis or very often. If you are looking for ways to help people, you may want to learn to massage. Dave Taylor Massage Training offers certificate and diploma courses in several massage techniques. It has training centers in different cities in the UK.
Sports massage differs from the therapeutic one in that it is usually deeper and more intense. It is a means to help the athlete reach an optimal level of fitness, taking care of it at the same time. It aims to reduce muscle spasms and the metabolic increase that comes with rigorous exercise. The purpose of a sports massage is to prevent injuries or treat those already present to prevent them from getting worse while relieving pain. It is used as a warm-up prior to the competition test in order to increase circulation and reduce excessive muscular and mental tension before the competition. It also helps the athlete to recover and return to training or new competition, reducing the risk of injury. It also accelerates the process of healing from injuries like cramps, breaks, overloads, contractures, etc. The power of massage therapy is usually underestimated by most people. The ranges of problems that can be cured by a massage are astounding. We have listed six unknown facts about sports massage here that will convince you to go for it:
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1. Relieves Stress
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Massage has proven to be an effective tool to relieve stress and harmonize emotions. It allows to recover the awareness of oneness with one’s own body, and it is extremely useful in the treatment of contractures produced by bad posture at work, emotional stress, and bad habits. It also has an immediate effect on circulatory and lymphatic muscles which improves the blood supply in all tissues, reduces hypertension, and helps the lymphatic system to eliminate waste from the body.
2. Improves Posture
As massage releases restrictions in muscles, joints, and surrounding fascia, your body is freed to return to a more natural and healthy posture. It can also relieve the contracted muscles and pain caused by abnormal spinal curvatures such as scoliosis. With weekly massage sessions, you will rectify the vertebrae realigning the spine and provide greater flexibility and functionality to the muscles. A correct posture also gives us good oxygenation and exhibits confidence and determination.
3. Improves Sleep
The stress and tension with which we live daily alter the activity of your body and cause sleep disorders or insomnia. Massage is an effective and natural method to fight insomnia. Cortisol is responsible for stress and prevents us from getting sleep easily. Massage helps to lower the level of cortisol in your body and also releases endorphins, which are your body’s natural pain-killers that is also responsible for happiness, increasing the feeling of tranquillity and satisfaction, thus better sleep.
4. Heal Injuries
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Massage can help heal injuries that develop over time, such as tendonitis, as well as ligament sprains or muscle strains caused by an accident. It reduces inflammation by increasing circulation to the affected area, which removes waste products and brings nutrients to injured cells. However, the degree of recovery depends on certain factors, such as the time of treatment, type of injury, etc.
5. Improves joint pain/restrictions
Besides releasing tight muscles that can restrict joint movement, massage works directly on your joints by improving circulation around them and stimulating the production of natural lubrication within them, relieving pain from conditions such as osteoarthritis. Massage oils have anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic and anti-spasmodic properties which are very beneficial in cases of discomfort in the joints.
6. Improves muscle tension and delays soreness
Massage can relieve many types of muscle tightness, from a short-term muscle cramp to a habitually clenched jaw or tight shoulders. Some massage techniques release tension directly by stretching, kneading, and compressing your muscles. Others techniques work indirectly by affecting your nervous system to allow your muscles to relax. Also, after vigorous exercise, a build-up of waste products in your muscles can leave you feeling tired and sore. Muscles can become so contracted that they press on nerves to the arms, hands, and legs, causing pain or tingling. If this happens, a massage to release the contracted muscles can bring relief.
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The general objectives of sports massage are to prepare the fabrics for sporting effort, keep them in an optimal state, prevent them from injuries both in training and in competition and help in the recovery of injuries that arise and maintain the physical form of the athlete. You should reap the benefits of massage as it helps all your body’s natural systems function efficiently.
