Sports Massage Techniques

Every sport uses muscle groups in a different way. Sports massage therapy, often based on Swedish massage, is designed to aid recovery from training and/or injury, and frequently includes the use of one or more of the following techniques:

Deep Swedish Massage
Muscle-specific applications of the standard effleurage, friction, petrissage, and tapotement techniques.

Compression Massage
Rhythmic compression into muscles — used to induce blood flow to a muscle area and to soften tissues. Often used as a warm-up for deeper, more-specific massage work.

Cross-Fiber Massage
Friction techniques applied in a general manner to stretch and broaden large muscle groups. Or on specific muscles and connective tissues, deep transverse friction applied to reduce adhesions and to help promote strong, flexible repair during the healing process.

Trigger Point/Tender Point Massage
Positioning combined with finger or thumb pressure into muscle and connective tissue trigger/tender points, to reduce hypersensitivity, muscle spasms and referred pain patterns at that point. Without treatment, such trigger/tender points often lead to restricted and painful movement of entire body regions.

Lymphatic Massage
Stimulation of specialized lymphatic-drainage pathways — improves the body¹s removal of edemas (excessive fluid accumulation in tissues or cavities) and effusion (oozing).

Effleurage Long, soothing, stroking  movements of varying strength, performed using the flat of the hand or fingers. The chief function of effleurage is to promote circulation the blood and lymph vessels. Friction Deep direct pressure to one particular site of muscular tension, using the thumb, fingertips or knuckles, base of the hand or palm. This type of massage, also called ``connective tissue massage,” is very useful for work on specific areas of tightness and muscle spasms in the back as well as small areas of the body. Check out our Twin Head or Jeanie Rub massagers for one way to get the benefits of friction massage without a special trip to a LMT. Pétrissage Rolling, kneading, and pinching the skin and muscles. Its physiological effects resemble those of friction in that it promotes absorption of the products of inflammation, and those of tapôtement in that it stimulates deep muscle tissues. Petrissage also promotes blood flow to muscle areas and the flow of lymph. Check out our Kneading Fingers unit for an electric version of pétrissage! Tapôtement Fast and stimulating percussive movements, including cupping, hacking and pounding (also called pummeling). These movements stimulate blood circulation and tone and help strengthen sagging skin and muscles, especially the soft tissue areas. Check out our percussive massagers for one way to access tapôtement techniques in our own home!

 

Sports massage techniques can be divided into three types:

Pre-event. A vigorous massage to a limb or area causing problems before an event to help you to reach your goal

Inter. During an athletic event to help you finish.

Post-event. After an event, to cool down and enhance recovery.

Currently it is thought that sports massage can aid sports performance in the following ways:

• Reduce the chance of injury, through proper stretching and event preparation, and through deep tissue massage
• Improve range of motion and muscle flexibility
• Increase power and performance
• Shorten recovery time
• Maximize the supply of nutrients and oxygen through increased blood flow
• Enhance elimination of metabolic by-products (hydrogen ions and lactic acid) of exercise
• Loosen adhesions in soft tissue
• Break down scar tissue into smaller particles: at this point, it can be absorbed into the lymph vessels. Left alone, scar tissue can remain as hard as bone. Massage in post-acute or chronic stages will prevent this by stopping the cells from binding together.