Sports Massage Therapy

What is sports massage therapy?
Sports massage therapy is massage therapy given to active people, usually those involved in sports on a regular basis, as a part of their conditioning program. Often, sports massage is performed on athletes before, during and after their athletic event.

What are the benefits of sports massage therapy?

Sports massage therapy offers many benefits to its patients. Often, sports massage therapy will become a regular part of an athlete’s conditioning program, right alongside exercise and sport practice. It has just recently become an integral part of athletes’ training program, and is now widely used and widely supported.

Since almost everything an athlete does is to condition their body (this may be in the form of workouts, weightlifting, drills, and more) it only makes sense that an important part of keeping the body in good condition would be to receive a relaxing and tension-relieving massage. When an athlete is given sports massage therapy on a regular basis—especially when it is given before, during and after an athletic event—it can provide a number of benefits, including: • Prevention of injuries

• Reduction in pain

• Reduction in swelling

• Increased flexibility/Decreased tension

• Enhanced performance

In addition to the many benefits of sports massage therapy listed above, it also has an added purpose: it can help an athlete heal more quickly from a
sports injury. By receiving sports massage therapy, an athlete can recover more quickly and usually experience much less pain than if they did not receive the therapy.

In addition to the many benefits of sports massage therapy listed above, it also has an added purpose: it can help an athlete heal more quickly from a sports injury. By receiving sports massage therapy, an athlete can recover more quickly and usually experience much less pain than if they did not receive the therapy.

What does sports massage therapy consist of?

Sports massage therapy is a combination of different types of massage therapies and techniques. The type of techniques that will be used in an athlete’s sports massage will depend on the needs of that athlete at that time. Many times, sports massage therapy will include techniques from both Shiatsu and Swedish massage. The sports massage could include many other techniques from many other forms of bodywork as well. The needs of a particular athlete are important (such as an injury), but another important deciding factor in the type of sports massage therapy an athlete will receive is the sport that an athlete plays.

Each type of sport (and each position in a sport) will demand something different from the players’ bodies than other sports. This means that the kind of sports massage therapy that a player will receive is greatly affected by the type of sport (and the position) that they play.

Ayurvedic Abhyanga Massage

Ayurveda is a natural health care system originating in India over 5,000 years ago. It incorporates massage, yoga, meditation and herbal remedies. Ayurvedic Massage, also known as Abhyanga, part of Panchakarma, is usually performed by one or two therapists using a heated blend of herbal oils based on the body's dosha. The aim is to balance the excess doshas through techniques such as kneading, rubbing, and squeezing. The feet are used in chavutti thirummal, a specialized technique where the therapist suspends himself by a rope from the ceiling to apply extra pressure with his feet.

Ayurveda means the "science of life". It originated in India more than 10,000 years ago and is believed to be the oldest healing science in existence, from which all other systems emerged. Pronounced "Aa-your-vay-da", this ancient healing system has three main focuses:
1) Healing illness2) Prevention of disease3) Longevity or age reversal.

Laws of Nature and Spirituality In essence, Ayurveda explains the laws of nature that cause health or disease. The first cause of illness is said to be the loss of faith in the Divine or experiencing a spiritual emptiness. From here illness develops due to internal conditions (e.g., foods and liquids) or external conditions (e.g., seasons, lifestyle). The main factors that cause poor health (also described as imbalance) are 1) Poor digestion 2) Weak immune systems.
When food is not properly digested it sits in the body. Nutrients are not absorbed and the food decays and forms toxins. These toxins cause most diseases in the body. Therefore, it is important to have good digestion.

The immune system can become depleted by poor nutrition, overwork, drugs and other excesses. The finest essence of nutrition develops a life sap that protects the immune system, much like the sap of a tree heals the bruises in its bark. In addition to promoting physical health, it is the life sap that becomes transformed through meditation to produce mental peace and spiritual development. With all the immune disorders that are prevalent these days, it is even more important that persons develop their immune sap.

Massage Chairs Come in Two Main Types.

Traditional massage chairs

Ergonomically designed chairs for positioning a person who will be receiving a massage, similar in function to a massage table. Chairs may be either stationary or portable models.
Massage chairs are easier for the therapist to maneuver than massage tables, and clients do not need to disrobe to receive a chair massage. Due to these two factors, chair massage is often performed in settings such as corporate offices, outdoor festivals, shopping malls, and other public locations.

Robotic massage chairs

A robotic massage chair is a chair that contains internal electronic motors and gears designed to massage the person sitting in them. Most robotic massage chairs have some form of controller to vary the type, location, or intensity of massage.
Massaging chairs most frequently resemble recliners. There are many different types and brands, including office-style chairs that operate from internal batteries. A less expensive option is a separate massaging pad that may be used with an existing chair. Some popular brands are Takemi Select, Human Touch, Panasonic, SHSS, OSIM, OTO, VGO, OGAWA.

Massaging chairs vary tremendously in price, style and intensity cheap vibrate only chairs to full intensity Shiatsu models for people who require as close to a real invigorating massage as possible. Some prefer more soothing relaxing massage for them there are some models which even go as far as having TV and music players.
Some people find may a full Shiatsu massage chair is a bit painful at first as they are based on and follow the healing method quite closely, they normally find that it pays dividends if they stick at it.