Sports massage or sports injury massage is designed to benefit a person engaged in regular physical activity by helping to correct problems and imbalances in soft tissues caused by repetitive and strenuous physical activity or trauma. A sports massage will also help reduce everyday aches and pains.
During the treatment, Ruben will investigate your body for muscle knots and for muscle fibres that won't fire properly, applying techniques to resolve the problems he finds. Sports massage can be used to treat any type of injury; apparently minor injuries can gradually lead to more substantial musculoskeletal problems and should not be ignored. Since the muscles of the body are interconnected by fascia, when one muscle group is tight, it often overpowers weaker muscles causing the actual pain to be felt elsewhere. The aim is therefore to treat the root cause of the pain and not just the symptom.
Sports massage therapies can provide the solution for many recurrent or long standing issues. Ruben sees many patients with muscle problems that have not been resolved by other therapies such as osteopathy, chiropractic treatment, physiotherapy and occasionally even surgery. Sports injury massage can also prevent injuries when used to correct postural disorders. Used before and after exercise sports massage may enhance performance, aid recovery and prevent injury. During competition periods, athletes benefit from having regular treatments.
Ruben treats most common muscular conditions including, but not limited to:
Neck pain - Frozen shoulder - Back pain of all sorts - Sciatica - Tight hamstrings - Calf pain or spasm - Plantar fasciitis
Sports Massage is a combination of techniques:
- Effleurage & Petrissage. Effleurage is a soothing movement involving circular stroking with the palm of the hand. Petrissage is massage with pressure applied deeply to compress the underlying muscles. It works as a mechanical pump to encourage venous and lymphatic return by starting at the bottom of the limb and pushing back towards the heart.
- Deep tissue massage. Deep Tissue is a term which describes a treatment which deals with problems below superficial connective tissue. It aims to break up unusual structural patterns. During a Deep treatment, the therapist will apply a considerable amount of pressure over the affected area, which can cause some discomfort for a very short period of time. Ruben will carefully monitor your response to the treatment to ensure it does not become too painful. Deep tissue massage breaks up scar tissue caused by injury, increases the range of motion and flexibility of limbs, and relaxes and soothes muscles.
- Muscle Energy Technique (MET) is an active technique in which the patient is also an active participant. Muscle energy technique uses the muscle’s own energy in the form of gentle isometric contractions to relax and lengthen muscles. Stroke techniques are applied as the patient resists the movement made to the muscle by the therapist.
- Myofascial release technique involves unwinding the internal and external fascia of the muscles. It releases tension and removes adhesion. The therapist will apply sustained pressure in combination with trigger point therapy.
- Trigger points are areas of the muscle that are tight and which lead to pain in other parts of the body. Trigger point massage therapy alleviates the source of the pain using isolated pressure and release. The main benefit of trigger point massage is to release constricted areas in the muscles and reduce the associated pain. During the treatment, the patient participates with deep breathing whilst giving feedback on the location and intensity of the discomfort felt. Regular treatments will alleviate pain and stress from chronic injuries.
In addition to the above techniques, stretches in the main joint areas such as hips and shoulders may be applied during a sports massage treatment. Since Ruben takes a holistic approach to his treatments, he will also give advice on how to follow up on your treatment and how to avoid injuring yourself again.