SPORTS MASSAGE & COMPLIMENTARY THERAPIES
Sports Massage
Sports Massage is more targeted and focuses on stiff and tight muscles, treating minor and chronic injuries. This is a great form of treatment for people who struggle with muscular tension. I can also focus on improving your posture, assisting in correcting the imbalances in soft tissue which are caused from repetitive and strenuous physical activity and trauma.
I generally use a wider range of techniques, including active and passive stretching to help realign and loosen muscle fibres. Releasing tightness in muscles is a key objective – as the muscles around joints relax, it increases the joints’ range of motion.
In general, I have a deeper understanding of the human anatomy underpinning what issues are underlying. It’s worth noting that although a sports massage is never meant to be painful, it can get fairly uncomfortable at times as I hone in on problem areas.
You can expect a general assessment of your posture and range of motion at the start and end of treatment. Sports massage require lotion or oil for the treatments.
DECREASED MUSCLE SPASMS
INCREASED ELIMINATION OF EXERCISE PRODUCTS
(LACTIC ACID)
DECREASED CHANCE OF INJURY
DECREASED RECOVERY TIME BETWEEN WORKOUTS
BETTER SLEEP
INCREASED JOINT RANGE OF MOTION
INCREASED FLEXIBILITY
INCREASED BLOOD FLOW
DECREASED MUSCLE TENSION
DECREASED NEUROLOGICAL EXCITABILITY (NERVES MORE RELAXED)
DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE
Deep Tissue massage is all about using firm pressure to reach the body’s deeper muscle tissues. Pressure starts off gentle, but ramps up during the treatment – it can be uncomfortable at times, but you should let me know if the massage ever becomes painful.
Deep Tissue treatments focus on reducing tension and stiffness – the technique encourages blood to flow to the muscles to oxygenate them more efficiently and speed up their recovery. I will focus on releasing knots, and may spend much of the treatment working a specific area to relax tight muscle tissues and boost circulation. Tough knots tend to be in the upper back – particularly around your shoulder blades.
Given the levels of pressure it’s not uncommon to be a little sore after a deep tissue massage, but this should ease off over the course of 72 hours.
PERSONAL TRAINING
Kinesiology Taping
This technique was developed by Japanese doctor Kenzo Kase more than 30 years ago. The adhesive strapping is designed to provide muscle and joint support without restricting movement.
The tape is made out of a breathable skin friendly material. Its Latex-free and wearable for days at a time.
When applied to the wanted area the tape gently lifts the skin, therefore reducing local pressure, enhancing circulation and lymphatic flow. The end result, is a decrease of pain and swelling.
Cut into different shapes (X,I,Y) and applied with different amount of tension, it can be used to promote pain relief, reduce swelling and inflammation, support joints, help tired muscles, reduce Headaches, ease up joint conditions.
The tape cannot be considered as a treatment modality on its own and will achieve full potential if used in addition to manual therapy.
Myofascial Cupping
For Myofascial cupping treatments I use cups made of plastic which attach to a hand pump that creates the suction.
Myofascial cupping is a soft tissue therapy that encourages healing by creating a negative pressure or suction on the skin using plastic cups that pull up underlying tissues, blood, and other fluids close to the surface of the skin. A myofascial cupping treatment uses a combination of massage strokes and negative pressure to lift, separate, and stretch underlying soft tissues. Cupping is typically applied on the neck, shoulders, back, sacrum, hip, abdomen, thigh, calves, and upper arms.
Areas of musculoskeletal tension or congestion are located using massage techniques, and cups may be applied on an affected area and moved over the surface in a gliding motion, or possibly put on a fascial adhesion or trigger point for a short time to reduce or eliminate it.
Cupping procedures may leave light to dark red marks on the skin that disappear in 5 to 10 days.