Your Comprehensive Guide To Sports Physical Therapy

Sports physical therapy may be beneficial for you, whether you are a professional athlete or a weekend warrior. This sort of physical therapy can not only help you recover from an injury, but it can also help prevent one from occurring in the first place.

If you have suffered from a sports-related injury, such as a sprain or strain, are attempting to return to sports after surgery, or are simply wanting to stay at the top of your game, sports physical therapy and sports massage can help! Read more about sports physical therapy, its advantages, exercises & equipment utilized, and its contraindications in this article.

Common Sports-Related Injuries

• Ligament sprains
• Muscle strains
• Bursitis
• Arthritis
• Concussions

Types of Sports Massage

• Maintenance Massage - Assist the athlete in achieving peak performance through injury-free training.
• Event Massage - Reduce unnecessary muscular tension to prepare the athlete for peak performance during a competition.
• Rehabilitation Massage - Speed up recovery and alleviate pain during the rehabilitation process.

Benefits of Sports Physical Therapy

• Promote flexibility and mobility
• Improve endurance
• Help prevent injuries
• Increase blood flow
• Enhance lymphatic drainage
• Quick recovery

Sports Therapy Exercises

• Stretches and self-mobilization techniques - Increase your range of motion and flexibility.
• Strengthening exercises - Assist in the development of muscular strength and the support of an injured region.
• Balancing or proprioceptive training - Improve your overall stability and prepare you for higher-level athletic motions.

Sports Therapy Equipment Used

• Elastic bands
• Weights
• Wobble boards
• Foam pads
• Balance discs

Techniques Utilized in Sports Massage

One or more of the following methods are often used in sports massage:

• Deep Swedish Massage - Increase circulation of blood and lymph fluids, and used in pre-event warm-ups, as well as post-event recovery massage.
• Compression Massage - In both before and after event massage, it is used as a warm-up for deeper, more focused massage therapy.
• Trigger Point Massage - To alleviate hypersensitivity, muscular spasms and to dissolve adhesions.
• Stretching - Used to improve range of motion in regions of the body where mobility is restricted.
• Lymphatic Massage - Stimulation of specialized lymphatic-drainage channels, which increases waste and toxin elimination in the body.

Contraindications of Sports Massage

• Ruptured muscles
• Fever
• Skin or tissue infections
• High blood pressure
• Fractures
• Bursitis
• Open wounds
• Soft tissue inflammation
• Infectious diseases
• Hernia
• Osteoporosis
• Cancer
• Recent surgery
• Pregnant

A sports massage is an excellent option if you have a specific condition, such as a sore knee from jogging, a frozen shoulder, or a strained hamstring. Rather than providing you a full-body massage, the therapist usually concentrates on the trouble region.

To learn more in-depth information or book an appointment, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at Massage Rx today!