Sports Massage is a form of soft tissue therapy designed to help physically active individuals with their recovery, strength & endurance alongside treating subsequent sporting injuries. Sports massage is not solely used to treat sports related injuries and conditions, it can also be applied to different types of individual with varying lifestyles experiencing chronic pain or injury.
Evidence of sports massage therapy can be dated back to around 8000 BC where people in China applied massage techniques to treat sporting injuries. In ancient Rome, gladiators were regularly treated with massage therapy to aid their recovery process after combat. Throughout history, civilisations around the world used different forms of massage practices to treat various conditions, which are the first glimpses into what the modern world now considers sports massage therapy to be.
In modern times (1812) a renowned fencing master and gymnast Henrik Ling combined massage techniques with strengthening exercises to formulate ‘kinesiotherapy,’ which quite literally means, the study of movement. This form of therapy applied scientific exercises to enhance endurance, improve mobility and remedy muscle imbalances. This is considered the first early step in modern history to today’s sports massage.
Like other forms of therapies, sports massage focuses on the musculoskeletal system (muscles, ligaments, tendons) incorporating many different techniques to provide the most effective form of treatment. A sports massage therapist typically incorporates different techniques such as kneading, tapping, effleurage, trigger point work, cross friction, compression, and hacking.
Sports massage therapy provides many benefits, these include:
Back2Wellbeing offers award-winning massage and pain therapy, recognised as one of the ‘three-best-rated’ for four years in a row. We provide high-quality, affordable treatments to relieve chronic pain, manage stress, and improve overall health. Our experienced practitioners are dedicated to delivering professional service in comfortable, well-appointed, and clean treatment rooms.
We also support our local community by partnering with Hope for Food, donating regularly since 2018 to help provide essentials for rough sleepers. Choose Back2Wellbeing for a trusted, compassionate approach to your health and wellbeing.
