Athletes undergo hard training in order to measure up to the competition. This can include rigorous workouts everyday, on top of practice for the particular sport they are playing. We often look to athletes as the pinnacle of health and wellness. Since they are able to go to lengths to be able to do something the average person cannot, they must be completely healthy and fit. Some people could even see these athletes as similar to super human. However, these people need the same type of care and upkeep to make sure they stay healthy, maybe even more than the regular person.
Athlete Use Of Massage Therapy
After intense use of muscles, sports massage therapy is a great way to relax. Repetitive movements can cause extreme soreness after the muscles settle, and without the proper care these muscles can end up stiff and weak. Certain methods used in sports massage therapy can be used to target muscle groups depending on the sport participated in. Using massage therapy and reduce the risk of injury and the stress and pain of overuse. A single massage session can last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour and a half, which can depend of which kind of message you choose.
Relaxation Use Of Massage Therapy
Sports massage therapy is not only for athletes, it can be helpful to anyone. Even stationary office workers can receive the benefits of massage therapy. Massages can be helpful for the stress of everyday life. Between July 2013 and July 2014, at least 23% of those who had a massage did so for stress reducing and relaxation. Deep tissue massage and trigger point massage are common types that are used for stress reduction.
Health and Injury Rehabilitation Use of Massage Therapy
Pain and injury is a large reason people get massages as well. Between July 2013 and July 2014, at least 54% of people who got a massage did so for health and pain related issues. Massages are great for injury rehabilitation, spasms, and general pain management. It’s common for chiropractors to give referrals for sports massage therapy, in this study 13% of massage therapists received referrals at least once a week, and 24% of other respondents received referrals multiple times in a month.
Overall, sports massage therapy is beneficial for various types of people for multiple reasons. It is not just for athletes, although they do benefit greatly from it as well. Massage is an important practice for healing and releasing tense muscles, which would otherwise result in injury.