Is Sports & Remedial Massage Therapy for Me?
The term Sports and Remedial Massage covers a range of deep tissue massage methods and remedial techniques. These methods of soft tissue therapy can help people in so many ways… achieve peak performance, remain injury free, support rehabilitation after an injury, improve mental health, reduce stress.
Massage for Active Bodies– The benefits of massage are cumulative and so it is recommended that sports people include regular massages into their training programmes. A regular massage can help with recovery from training sessions, help prevent minor over-use from developing into injuries and increase self-awareness therefore improving performance.
Massage for Any Body – Despite the name sports massage certainly isn’t limited to a sporting context. It is not only of benefit to sporty people, anyone – no matter their activity level – can be treated. Sore shoulders from gardening? Stiff lower back and neck from sitting in front of a computer all day? Aching calves from walking? These could all benefit from massage and soft tissue therapy.
Massage for Mental Health – Our mental health is intrinsically linked to our physical health. Our mind and our bodies are not two completely separate items and so we should not treat them as such. When you are stressed hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine are released in your body. These prepare your body for “fight or flight” which is great in the short term but these hormones can have a negative effect if you’re body has high levels of them long-term. Constantly being ready to “fight or flight” leads to tension in our muscles, shallow breathing and this will very often lead to back and neck pain.
Massage has been shown to increase dopamine and serotonin levels (neurotransmitters that improve mood and feelings of well-being) and decrease the stress hormones cortisol and norepinephrine. After a massage many people report feeling lower levels of anxiety and a better mood. Clinical research supports massage therapy as an effective part of treating anxiety and depression, so if you are struggling with poor mental health, consider massage therapy as a routine part of your self-care.
Massage has so many benefits both physical and mental and everyone, no matter their activity level, can benefit.
