Thursday, May 15, 2014

How Athletes Can Benefit from Massage Therapy

*** As seen on Fitocracy's Knowledge Center ***





*Reduced muscle tension 1, 2, 3
*Reduced muscle hyper-tonicity 1, 3
*Increased range of motion 1, 2, 3, 4
*Improved soft tissue function 1, 2
*Decreased muscle stiffness and fatigue after exercise 2, 3, 5
*Improved exercise performance 2, 3, 5, 6
*Decreased delayed onset muscle soreness 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
*Reduced swelling/edema 2, 10


Each time we exercise we hope we are stressing our muscles enough to cause a change. That change doesn’t come without a price though. Muscle stiffness, soreness, micro-trauma, inflammation, joint disorders, all start to take their toll on our bodies. Massage can be the solution to both the physical and mental strain we endure for our healthy lifestyles. 

The benefits seen above only scratch the surface as research attempts to prove the validity of the claims the massage industry has made for years. The benefits that I hope will stick with you are related to helping you function better and prevent future injuries. The main concern sports therapists and structural bodyworkers have is to help the body realign itself so the musculature can work better as a team in supporting our bodies against gravity. As the body shifts out of alignment the joints are stressed in a different way than they were intended for and muscles are recruited for motions they weren’t designed for. Often we think that stretching or foam rolling will help us achieve the muscular balance we need, but only if you know what muscle(s) or fascial sheets are the exact cause. 

            One of the best examples I can think of relates to shoulder imbalances. Many posts in forums will talk about how someone can’t get into the front rack position, or maybe they have shoulder pain during bench press. These can be complicated issues that a general stretching or foam rolling program won’t work for. A qualified massage therapist can assess which muscles are tight because they are short (concentrically loaded), and which muscles are tight because they are locked long (eccentrically loaded). An example of this would be in a person who has the sloucher’s posture from working at a desk all day. Their Pectoralis Minor and the lower head of their Trapezius is tight. Which one do we want to lengthen and which one do we want to strengthen? Your massage therapist has the tools to read posture and determine those types of patterns. They could then give personalized exercises, stretches, and muscles to roll out that will fit their exact need, not the general populations.

There are many types of massage that can assist you in your training, some to consider are

Deep Tissue – lengthens short muscles, helps restore blood flow to restricted areas, and relieves pain.
Trigger Point Therapy – Those fun knots/tender points that cause random pain in other parts of your body. “Where you think the problem is, it ain’t” – Ida Rolf
Structural Integration/Rolfing – Alignment therapies. That dropped arch in your foot might be what causing your neck pain.
Thai Massage – The lazy man’s yoga. All the benefits of yoga, without having to do the work!


1- Brukner, P., and Khan, K., with colleagues. (2009). Clinical Sports Medicine. Sydney, Australia: The McGraw-Hill Companies.

2- Fritz, S. (2005). Sports & Exercise Massage: Comprehensive Care in Athletics, Fitness, & Rehabilitation. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby9

3- Archer, P. (2007). Therapeutic Massage in Athletics. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

4- Crosman, L.J., Chateauvert, S.R., Weisberg, J. (1984). The effects of massage to the hamstring muscle group on range of motion. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, 6(3):168-72

5- Ogai, R., Yamane, M., Matsumoto, T. Kosaka, M. (2008). Effects of petrissage massage on fatigue and exercise performance following intensive cycle pedaling. BR J Sports Med, 42(10):834-8

6- Brooks, C.P., Woodruff, L.D., Wright, L.L., Donatelli, R. (2005). The immediate effects of manual massage on power-grip performance after maximal exercise in healthy adults. J Altern Complement Med, 11(6):1093-101

7- Farr, T., Nottle, C., Nosaka, K., Sacco, P. (2002). The effects of therapeutic massage on delayed onset muscle soreness and muscle function following downhill walking. J Sci Med Sport, 5(4):297-306.

8- Hilbert, J.E., Sforzo, G.A., Swensen, T. (2003). The effects of massage on delayed onset muscle soreness. Br J Sports Med, 37(1):72-5.

9-Smith, L.L., Keating, M.N., Holbert, D., Spratt, D.J., McCammon, M.R., Smith, S.S., Israel, R.G. (1994). The effects of athletic massage on delayed onset muscle soreness, creatine kinase, and neutrophil count: a preliminary report. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, 19(2):93-9. 
10- Bakowski, P., Musielak, B., Sip, P., Bieganski, G. (2008). Effects of massage on delayed-onset muscle soreness. Chir Narzadow Ruchu Ortop Pol, 73(4):261-5.
11 - Frey Law, L.A., Evans, S., Knudtson, J., Nus, S., Scholl, K., Sluka, K.A. (2008). Massage reduces pain perception and hyperalgesia in experimental muscle pain: a randomized, controlled trial. J Pain, 9(8):714-21.

12- Zainuddin, Z., Newton, M., Sacco, P., Nosaka, K. (2005). Effects of Massage on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness, Swelling, and Recovery of Muscle Function. J Athl Train, 40(3): 174–180.


34 comments:

  1. Anxiety and depression are common, serious mental health problems. Research shows that massage therapy can help.
    see more details: association massothérapeutes Québec

    ReplyDelete
  2. Best Massage Chairs
    Aroma massage chair design with beautiful appearance,LED light on the armrest achieve colorful change,easy remote
    control operate let you enjoy the comfortable massage.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Massage Chair Sydney
    Our product range gives Australians access to the latest innovations, including zero gravity massage chairs, at the most competitive prices in Sydney. Best of all, we deliver these supreme relaxation machines direct to your home and even help you set it up. You will be enjoying the indulgence of your very own zero gravity massage chair in no time at all.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Really great news!!! this information is well worth looking everyone. Good tips. I will be sharing this with all of my friends! Thank you for sharing valuable information.
    ________________________
    Abu Dhabi massage

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sometimes is becomes very hard to take appreciation for your hard work. But sometime only few technical point makes your work worthwhile. Suggestion under this blog is quite good. Asian Massage in St paul

    ReplyDelete
  6. with a hose, tiled walls and overhead heat lamps, I got washed, scrubbed, and moisturized like never before.escort massage prague

    ReplyDelete
  7. But many of us believe that it is only for elite athletes. It is not true. Massage is for everyone, including you. It has a larger number of doses that we do not see otherwise, I consider it a luxury.
    escort massage prague

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am so happy to read this. This is very educational content. Really this is breathtaking effort with the blog. I wanted to thank you for this great article. Thanks for this excellent information. Massage in St Paul

    ReplyDelete
  9. If you are on vacation in Ukraine in the city of Lviv, and you do not visit this place https://bezvuliak.com/en/massage/, you can then regret it

    ReplyDelete
  10. https://ibstmasgechr.hatenablog.com/
    https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard
    http://bestmassage.doodlekit.com/
    https://ibstmasgechr.livejournal.com/709.html
    https://www.massagechair.pb.online/
    http://ibstmasgechr.moonfruit.com/
    https://1567268.site123.me/
    https://ibstmasgechr.zohosites.in/
    https://ibstmasgechr.voog.com/

    ReplyDelete
  11. It was a good and healthy content regarding spa therapies, we really appriciate you and also we offer our Body Spa in Jaipur at a decent center.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Its really good blog and review. I really like the way you describe the every part, so clearly. nice points from benefit massage therapy. We are also providing services likeMassage Therapy. Thanks for sharing such beautiful information with us. I hope you will share some more info about Massage treatment.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This is my first time i visit here. I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! keep up the good work אוליגרך ליידיס

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you so much for sharing such detailed information on Massage therapy and its related aspects.

    Home Study Massage Courses

    ReplyDelete
  15. I would have to agree with these kinds of ideas regarding on Athletes that Can Benefit from Massage Therapy. When it comes to relieving some stress and pain, I would say that massage therapy would be the best thing to have. pumpkin peel

    ReplyDelete
  16. Nothing can be compared to the effectiveness of this battery operated mini massager. Whenever you feel some pains around the muscles in your body, this white color shoulder massager will help you relax and put an end to such pains. You might be experiencing pains around your neck, back, shoulders or even your face. This durable mini massager will do the job perfectly and it has turned out to be a perfect shoulder and face massager over time. This mini electric massager is designed with the powers to put an end to any stiff muscles in your body.

    ReplyDelete
  17. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I read your post its really amazing and informative. Today's life is very stressful ! massage therapy give relaxation from stress and pain.
    please share about Physiotherapy

    ReplyDelete
  19. I've seen it very carefully and learned that how to set-up, adjust, and transport my chair. Thanks real relax massage chair

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for sharing. Great post very Informative, also checkout Massage Absolut

    ReplyDelete
  21. Massage therapy is often used as an adjunct to a fitness routine to assist in achieving peak athletic performance. There are a variety of ways in which massage therapy is used to promote optimal fitness - massage therapy is not all just about spas and "fluff".

    chiropractor calgary

    ReplyDelete
  22. I really loved reading your blog. It was very well authored and easy to undertand. Unlike additional blogs I have read which are really not tht good. I also found your posts very interesting. In fact after reading, I had to go show it to my friend and he ejoyed it as well!

    Massage in San Jose

    ReplyDelete
  23. Sometime few educational blogs become very helpful while getting relevant and new information related to your targeted area. As I found this blog and appreciate the information delivered to my database.
    Sports Massage Auckland

    ReplyDelete
  24. Sometimes it is difficult to find local SEO services but you you can read this for more info.

    ReplyDelete
  25. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I really loved reading your blog. It was very well authored and easy to understand. Unlike additional blogs I have read which are really not tht good. I also found your posts very interesting. In fact after reading, I had to go show it to my friend and he enjoyed it as well!

    Body exfoliation San Jose

    ReplyDelete
  27. I Liked the content of your website. It was really informative and looking forward for more blogs from this Website.

    spa in bangalore

    body spa near me

    best spa in bangalore

    ReplyDelete
  28. Sore muscles for an athlete can be a nightmare, I am an Athlete too and i know the pain of it during a muscle strain i was suggested a body massage by my doctor and that let me into booking an appointment with a thai spa near me in one of the best spa in bangalorei was very skeptical of my decision but by the end of the session i knew i would be booking another appointment with a spa in bangalore. Such was my experience. I loved it. and it was soothing for my muscle strain.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I realized this when I recently a 25km marathon, this was the very first time I ran a marathon and the next day all my muscles were sore and I started getting too many cramps. So, I decided to get into spa in bangalore and when I told them about my situation they suggested me to go for their thai massage bangalore services because they use stretching technique and it will increase the blood flow. After a session with this body spa in bangalore I felt so much relaxed and calm

    ReplyDelete
  30. Very Informative and useful post about the benefits Massage Therapy. Keep it up the great job.

    ReplyDelete