4 Facts About Massage Therapy for Athletes

While it’s true that massage helps to reduce stress, relieve tension, and even eliminate insomnia, massage therapy has plenty of other applications. At PMR, our massage therapists frequently focus their healing efforts on athletes of all stripes, from full-on professionals to YMCA enthusiasts.

As a matter of fact, pro athletes have relied on massage therapy as a core component of their off-court training regimens for years. As more research is conducted regarding the efficacy of massage therapy, the science finally seems to be catching up. In this post, we’ll examine four interesting facts about the application of massage therapy techniques to sports and athletic training.

1. Massage therapy can help with movement. Massage therapy targets muscle tissue and joints, which happen to be the engines that drive peak athletic performance. In studies, massage therapy has been shown to improve flexibility and range of motion. Whether you’re a weekend bodybuilder or an NBA player, massage can help you to reach your best possible physical condition.
2. Massage therapy speeds up recovery time for athletes. The results are in: the latest research confirms that regular massage therapy can make an athlete’s recovery both smoother and faster. That includes the normal recovery from strenuous activities, as well as recovery from acute sports injuries, such as tears, strains, and sprains. This is likely due to a combination of factors, including massage’s effect on blood circulation and its role in the creation of mitochondria, which provides the energy needed to heal muscle tissue.

• Some of the beneficial effects of massage are psychological, too. We say psychological because many of massage’s benefits have to do with the state of mind it induces. Regular massage therapy alleviates tension, improves mood, and reduces levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. The result is a relaxed yet focused state that makes it easier for athletes to find their “zone.”
• There are different types of massage, and the benefits are cumulative. There are more types of massage than we could list here, and a sports-focused program may include more than one type. You should know that athletes will typically receive more intense forms of massage (e.g. deep tissue massage), which might be uncomfortable at first. In addition, massage is most effective when it is performed regularly—usually at least once a week, on an ongoing basis.

For more on the benefits of massage therapy for athletes and fitness fiends, give us a call at PMR today!