SPORTS & FITNESS MASSAGE

Ways to improve performance, decrease injuries, speed recovery are all things that athletes are constantly looking for. Whether you’re training to be a CrossFit athlete or beginning a boot camp in anticipation of your first Triathlon, Sport Massage Therapy may be for you.

Sport Massage Therapy can easily be included in your training program as a pre-event warm up or post-event cool down to aid performance and assist in injury prevention.

Current research provides evidence that massage therapy can reduce delayed muscle soreness and positively affect heart rate, blood pressure and hormonal levels resulting in a relaxation response, reduced anxiety and improved mood.

A Body Smart Functional Neuromuscular Assessment and Functional Movement Screen (FMS) in conjunction with corrective manual therapy and myofascial release therapy, is the first place to start when considering Sport Massage Therapy to improve your athletic performance and fitness ability.

Our registered massage therapists are RockTape certified and understand the needs of athletes as we also like to remain active and fit in our lives. By utilizing cutting-edge advances in technology such as Functional Neuromuscular Assessment, FMS and NKT™ in your body assessment, your Treatment Plan can focus on restoring sound movement patterns over the course of treatment.

TREATMENT

Registered Massage Therapists may help:

• Decrease pain by reducing muscle soreness
• Enhance circulation
• Reduce anxiety and promote relaxation
• Promote greater flexibility and range of motion through active and passive remedial exercises.

RESEARCH

The Mechanisms of Massage and Effects on Performance, Muscle Recovery and Injury Prevention

Post-exercise massage has been shown to reduce the severity of muscle soreness, but massage has effects on muscle functional loss.  The majority of research on psychological effect of massage has concluded that massage produces positive effects on recovery (psychological mechanisms).

(Weerapong P, Hume PA)

The Effects of Athletic Massage on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, Creatine Kinase, And Neutrophil Count: A Preliminary Report

Two hours after exercise, massage subjects received a 30-miute athletic massage; control subjects rested.  Delayed onset muscle soreness and CK were assessed before exercise and after exercise.  The results of this study suggest that sport massage will reduce DOMS when administered 3 hours after the termination of exercise. (Smith LL, et al)

Visit massagetherapy.bc.ca for more information.