Sports

Background

Sports massage therapy has been a time-honoured practice dating back to ancient Greece and Rome.

Sports massage therapy can be included in a 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.


Treatment

Registered Massage Therapists may help:
* decrease pain by reducing muscle soreness
* enhance circulation
* reduce anxiety and promote relaxation
* promote greater flexibility & range of motion through active & 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 no effects on muscle functional loss. The majority of research on psychological effects of massage had concluded that massage produces positive effects on recovery (psychological mechanisms)
(Wearapong P., Hume PA., Kolt GS., Sports Med, 2005;35(3):235-56).

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 minutes 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 sports massage will reduce DOMS when administered 2 hours after the termination of exercise.
(Smith LL, et al, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1994 Feb;19(2):93-9).

Visit www.massagetherapy.bc.ca for more information.