Increasingly, athletes and trainers are embracing massage as an integral part of their athletic regimens. Massage can treat sore muscles, promote healing, maintain health, and perhaps give an edge to competitive athletes by increasing their range of motion and flexibility. Weekend warriors, gardeners, parents of small children, and others who use their bodies in strenuous activities are also discovering the benefits of sports massage.

Muscles, tendons and soft tissues can become stiff and sore for a variety of reasons. These include over exercise, damage to tissue, a build up of waste products and muscle spasms caused by reduced blood flow. Trigger points, or stress points, are specific spots on a muscle or tendon that are painful when pressed. Trigger points may be caused by falling or being hit, or they can develop over time from stress and strain.

Sports massage often incorporates deep tissue techniques to work a specific joint, muscle or muscle group. Deep tissue massage does just what its name suggests: it reaches the deeper layers of the soft tissue. The practitioner uses fingers, knuckles, elbows, opposing thumbs, the heel of a hand or foot, and the forearm to reach these tissues. Pressure is applied gently at first and then becomes stronger as the deeper tissues are reached. Very little lubricant is used since this type of massage doesn’t travel generally over the skin, but is more focused on specific points.

Regular sports massage can reduce the chances of injury by preparing the body for exercise. It can also reduce the amount of recovery time between workouts, improve flexibility in muscles and joints, and make the body more efficient in processing nutrients and oxygen.