Acubody is the leading sports injury clinic in London and we use massage therapy, sometimes combined with acupuncture, to treat sports injuries. However, it is not only used to treat injuries, but also as a form of stress relief. Many massage therapists consider that it should be a lifestyle choice for sportsmen and women and they should have a massage at least once a month.
Sports massage is actually a combination of several techniques and the idea is to relax muscles and reduce tension in the body. This sports therapy in London is a very deep massage and the effects are very often not immediately noticeable. The massage releases fluids and tension in deep muscles and the effects take up to 24 hours to become noticeable. However, then there will be a vastly improved overall feeling.
Sports massage helps to improve the circulation considerably and maximises the flow of oxygen and nutrients which help the body to rebuild itself. It also removes lactic acid and carbonic acid which build up in the muscles after strenuous exercise in a match or a workout. In addition it improves muscle flexibility and range of motion. This is the reason that athletes choose to have a massage before a sporting event, but this type of massage will be lighter than the one for recovering from injury as the deeper strokes can make the limbs feel heavy for a while.
Sports massage is based on Swedish massage and the purpose of Swedish massage is to relax the whole body using long gliding strokes in the direction of blood returning to the heart. It is very useful for increasing oxygen levels in the blood and removing acids from the muscles. Sports massage is based on this technique and is geared towards muscles that have had a lot of use in the particular sport in which the athlete engages, and which can vary according to the sport. A study in the US a few years ago showed that athletes who had a sports massage before and after a workout had less soreness those who didn’t.
Sports massage has been shown to help improve lymph fluid which in turn removes lactic acid and uric acid which are both the result of exercise. It helps to speed up recovery time and reduces the pain of cramps and spasms. In addition, a sports massage provides psychological benefits. By relieving stress it clears the mind, which is a definite plus when it comes to sporting activity.
