Sports Massage FAQs

Often, before, during and after a Sports Massage I get asked a handful of questions surrounding the topic. Therefore, I have compiled a list of FAQs that may help put a lot of minds to ease with this easy-to-follow guide and reason as to why you should get a Sports Massage.

Sports Massage – What is it and what does it do?

Warming up the rotator cuff

A Sports massage is a form of massage using a variety of simple and specialist techniques to manipulate the soft tissue of the musculoskeletal system.

1.       Sports massage has been shown to increase muscle flexibility in the acute stage. This means that following your sports massage you will be capable of reaching positions that you struggled with prior to the massage. An example of this would be simply struggling to touch your toes, if this is due to extremely tight hamstrings then a sports massage on this area may improve blood flow to said area and allow you to reach the range you aim for.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7716682/

2.       Sports massage has also been shown to aid recovery. As someone who trains you will undergo periods of stress on the body that will build up over time often known as DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). A sports massage will vastly improve circulation into these areas deprived of oxygen and nutrients and reduce the severity of the dreaded DOMS. https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000614

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/32/3/212

3.       Sports massage has also been proven time and time again to improve blood flow. In turn, this will enhance oxygen and nutrient delivery into your muscles which will allow them to feel better and more robust.

Who would benefit from a Sports Massage?

Everyone! From the everyday athlete and weekend warrior to the elite sports athlete. If you exercise as part of your routine then often, your body may begin to generate some fatigue, therefore, it is vital to take care of the impact your workouts are having on your body. (I am, however, quite the hypocrite as I do not receive massages as often as I should, whoops)

Muscle Energy Techniques (MET) on Hamstring

When can I train again after a massage?

As a general rule of thumb, I suggest that you should have a massage either on the same day as a rest day or the day before a rest day. The rationale for this, is that you will often feel tired after a massage as it puts your body into the ‘recovery process’. Post massage, your body activates the parasympathetic nervous system which allows your body to recover, thus, inflammation happens in the targeted muscle groups so that you can get back to a stronger condition afterwards.

Why do I get told to drink plenty of water after a massage?

After a massage, as previously mentioned, blood flow is improved, therefore the blood needs to continue to be oxygenated to deliver the right nutrients to the right areas, by drinking water this aids this process and prevents the risk of dehydration. As massage can be quite uncomfortable if your muscles are particularly tight, then your heart rate might spike during the treatment which will cause you to sweat and potentially cause fluid loss, so this by drinking enough you will replenish this lost fluid.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/water-after-a-massage_n_2075604

How often should I get a massage?

There are various studies suggestive of different frequencies for massage but in my opinion, I believe it’s very individualised. A few examples are as follow.

If you are training at a moderate to high level (training 4-6 times a week), a sports massage once every 2-3 weeks should be enough.

During Jonny’s training, (one of our Physios here at Physio Effect) I had the privilege of providing him with a fortnightly sports massage which he found made a massive difference while pushing his body to new limits in his training to run the west highland way in December 2021. He stated that “the regular release of the muscle groups in my legs that were being overloaded with training allowed me to complete a 12-week plan for the first time ever without regular minor niggles to different muscles and joints in my legs. With the high training volume and a busy life, I often find it difficult to keep on top of my own soft tissue release and maintenance, so having the regular massage appointment in my diary meant I was able to focus my time and efforts into the more enjoyable training than torturing myself late in the evening on a foam roller. It also allowed me to have regular quality work done to a long-standing knee issue that I feel avoided it is flaring up beyond a manageable level in my training. I will absolutely be doing this on future training blocks for my various running events.”

If you are an elite athlete (2 a day sessions) then once a week would be the most optimal.

If you work a moderate to intense job/Occupational factors that involves either sitting in a compromised postural position or carrying heavy loads, then a massage once every 3-4 weeks would suffice. However, it is individual dependant as I myself, only get one every 2 months or so as it this fits my lifestyle.

https://www.onemassagetherapy.co.uk/how-often-should-you-get-a-massage/

Is a sports massage sore?

This is a question that is dependent on an individual’s pain tolerance, using myself as an example I get nervous prior to any form of body work as I expect it to be sore. However, using one of my managers Jonny as an example in which he won’t mind me saying, he is okay with a sports massage and tolerates them well, albeit that he receives them frequently and has built up a good tolerance towards them.

The pressure of the massage we provide is always adapted through the variety of techniques we use throughout the treatment so this will go from some light techniques in order to warm the tissue up at the beginning and end of the treatment with some specific deeper techniques throughout.

Gua Sha Scraping on the Pec (not the nicest)

When should I NOT get a massage?

If you have an acute injury (within the first 3 days of the injury occurring) I would not book in for a sports massage. The reason for this is that the injured area will be begin the healing process resulting in pain and inflammation. Massaging this area would only aggravate the injured tissue and potentially make the injury worse.

I hope this blog answers common queries and questions and we’ll be more than happy to answer any more questions either via email - reception@physioeffect.co.uk or by phoning us on 01412304766

How Physio Effect helped me on my Journey to the London Marathon - a Customer's Testimonial

I started a 16-week marathon training program in January, only to get a recurring calf injury in the second week, but thanks to treatment and advice from Jonny, I was able to get back to training in a couple of weeks and back to running properly is a couple more, but it was a less than ideal start.   

Then life got in the way a bit as it does, as did two snowboarding holidays a few weeks apart, the last one being the week before the marathon!   I know; planning, eh?

So I found myself at the start line: nervous, carrying a few extra kilos I'd rather not have and feeling a bit under-trained - but nevertheless committed to do my level best.

At no point in the race did I experience any asymmetric pain whatsoever. Neither calf so much as murmured nor did my right ITB, all which are known to do so. I'm not saying everything didn't hurt like buggery from the halfway point onward but that was just muscle fatigue from the pace and duration. I saw so many people pulling up all over the place to limp or stretch and passed (apparently) a good few thousand forced to walk or slow right down. 

The point of this is despite all of the above, the only regular thing I did for the entire lead up to the race was to get proactive sports massage from Nicki at Physio Effect with some dry needling for the stubborn knots and also massages from Melanie too.  

I totally attribute my successful and injury free day to this and would heartily recommend anyone to do the same in undertaking any sporting endeavour.

And my time?  3:59:21 since you asked :-) 

Scott Cherry - Physio Effect client and all-round good guy!

The Tool of our Trade

IASTM - What is it?

A revolutionary treatment technique used in physiotherapy is the use of an instrument or a tool, which enables the physiotherapist to locate and treat an area of soft tissue dysfunction.

The official term is called Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilisation or IASTM. The technique itself is said to have evolved from the traditional Chinese Medicine technique called Gua Sha. However, Gua Sha uses the principle of Meridians to move the bad “Qi” out of the body. You could perhaps say that IASTM is a modernised version of Gua Sha using anatomical reasoning. IASTM is growing rapidly in popularity due to its effectiveness and efficiency in treating musculoskeletal conditions while remaining non-invasive compared to other treatment techniques such as Trigger Point Dry-Needling or Acupuncture. 

IASTM is performed using an ergonomically designed tool most commonly made of stainless steel. The tool is used to detect and treat fascial restrictions, effectively treat scar tissue, chronic inflammation and/or degeneration.  As with any physiotherapy treatment, the use of IASTM is also supplemented with exercise prescription and additional methods such as joint mobilisation designed to correct any biomechanical issues by addressing musculoskeletal strength and muscle imbalances or weaknesses. 

IASTM Tooling around the knee at Physio Effect

How Does IASTM Work?

Soft tissue injury involves damage to muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia (connective tissue) somewhere in the body. Common soft tissue injuries usually happen after a sprain, strain or a blow to the body resulting in ruptured blood vessels or overuse of a particular body part. Soft tissue injuries can result in pain, swelling, bruising and loss of function. Adhesions within the tissue may develop as a result of repetitive strain/overuse, surgery, or immobilisation. 

Often, people with soft-tissue injuries do not seek out treatment until the injuries have become chronic (weeks/months after injury). By this point, the body has completed most of its self-healing process. Scar tissue and adhesions are formed during this healing process, which limits motion and often causes pain. Scar tissue and adhesions essentially act like super glue in your body. When scar tissue is created after injury, new cells are laid down excessively and in a disorganised manner. Scar tissue/adhesions prevent the muscle or other tissues from lengthening appropriately. It is often necessary to restart the healing process in order to remodel the soft tissues in the affected area. By introducing controlled micro-trauma to affected soft tissue using IASTM, a local inflammatory response is stimulated. This micro-trauma initiates reabsorption of inappropriate or excessive scar tissue and facilitates a remodelling of the affected soft-tissue structures. After IASTM treatment, scar tissue can be remodelled so that the cells become organised in a direction that better promotes movement.

The ergonomic design of the tool used for IASTM provides the physiotherapist with the ability to locate these soft tissue restrictions and allows them to treat the affected area with the appropriate amount of pressure.  

What should I expect after an IASTM treatment? 

It is important to note that IASTM’s ability to reinitiate healing comes from the fact that it is essentially re-injuring the body (although to a lesser degree and in a controlled manner). This may cause mild discomfort during the procedure. There may be soreness in the treatment area for a day or two following treatment and occasionally bruising may occur.

What are common conditions treated with IASTM?

• Tennis or Golfer’s Elbow

• Neck or Back Pain

• Plantar Fascitis

• Rotator Cuff , Achilles or Patella Tendinopathy

• DeQuervain’s Tensosynovitis

• Post-Surgical Scars

• Ligament Sprains

• Muscle Strains

• IT Band Syndrome

• Shin Splints

• Chronic Ankle Sprains/Stiff Ankle

• Arthritic Pain

What are the benefits following IASTM?

• Improved range of motion

• Improved muscle strength and function

• Altered pain perception and reduction of pain

IASTM is a common treatment technique utilised by the therapists at Physio Effect. The dedicated team at Physio Effect provides a full package of services that will ensure you’re supported through injury prevention, assessment, recovery and helping you achieve your ultimate performance goals.