Sports massages can ease the aches and pains of your active body.
Any active person in high levels of training will feel aches and pains in muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and bones. According to the Sports Massage Association, sports massage is an effective way to physically help the body recover and repair and allow a person to continue to train to the best of his ability. As a sports massage therapist, you can relieve the aches and pains of training before they become career-ending injuries.
Role
As a sports massage therapist, you have to use the pressure of your palms, elbows and fingers to relieve the aches and pains of your client. You should listen to your client and ensure your massages are tailor-made to their needs in order to reach the most effective and efficient results.
Benefits
Sports massage benefits athletes in many ways. According to the Sports Massage Association, sports massage improves circulation and lymphatic flow in the body, assists in the removal of metabolic waste which causes sore muscles, stimulates nerve endings, increases or decreases muscle tone and length, remodels scar tissue and assists in pre-competition mental preparation.
Massage Techniques
As a sports massage therapist, there are three main techniques you will use, according to BrianMac Sport Coach. Effleruage is a stroking motion used at the start of the massage. It increases blood flow to the area, relaxes muscles and puts the client at ease. It can also be used at the end of the massage, once the more pain-provoking processes have finished to relax your client once again. Petrissage is the kneading of deeper tissues for mobilizing fluids, stretching muscle fibers and inducing relaxation. Frictions is a exploratory technique for deeper muscle tissue and, if needed, the painful process of breaking down lesions and scar tissue. You should use the sensory pad of your thumb and move it over the skin to feel for any abnormalities which will be trigger points to the muscle tissue beneath. While completing frictions, you should warn your client it will be painful and not do it for a long length of time.
Courses and Training
To become a sports massage therapist, you must take part in an accredited course at a sports massage school or college. To go to a sports massage school, you must have achieved a high school diploma and may need to attend an interview. After graduating from the sports massage school, you must pass exams and tests to achieve your diploma in sports massage to ensure you are competent enough to conduct your own massages without injuring any of your clients. Licensing requirements differ from state to state so research the requirements in your local area to gain a license and start your career.
Non-Athlete Clients
Sports massage are not just for athletes training at a high level. For example, your client might be an office worker with neck and back problems, problems instigated from sitting hunched at a computer all day. The exploratory and deeper methods used to manipulate the muscles in a sports massage can benefit anyone.
Tags: sports massage, your client, aches pains, massage therapist, massage school