Is sports massage painful?... What does a sports massage do?
A common question that people ask regarding a sports massage is if you should feel pain during a session. Most people believe that a sports massage is painful, but it is not always the case.
Let’s understand firstly what does a sports massage do, when it is recommended and who can benefit from it, and then we’ll know why sometimes it can be painful and other times not.
A sports massage is a form of soft tissue manipulation treatment that involves a series of hands-on techniques applied to the muscles, tendons and ligaments in order to release tension, improve blood flow, improve muscle flexibility, joint mobility, release pain, release trigger points, fascia ( connective tissue), improves DOMS ( delayed onset of muscle soreness) after sports events and activities.
A sports massage involves a mixture of advanced massage techniques, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, passive stretching and as well can be done in combination with other therapies such as Myofascial Cupping Release/ Dry cupping, Medical Acupuncture/Dry Needling, Medical Taping ( Kinesiology Tape), Physiotherapy Techniques or Sports Therapy - of course depending on the clients’ needs.
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Who can benefit from a sports massage?
Usually, people that play sports or get involved in regular physical activities benefit the most from having sports massages.
A sports massage can be done as a preventative treatment: to keep the body to its optimal functioning level and when applied pre-events: to help prevent injuries caused by tightness in the muscles and joint stiffness. When applied after a sports event or physical activity session it helps improve DOMS, release post-event soreness and tension, relaxes the muscles and helps to flush out the metabolic residues as well well as release inflammation.
When treating sports-related injuries, sports massages play an important role in the rehabilitation process after sports and orthopaedic accidents such as torn/pulled muscles, sprains and strains, tendonitis or even in the recovery process after orthopaedic surgeries along with Physiotherapy / Sports Therapy treatments.
People that don’t play any sports but have an office job and spend a lot of hours at a desk or a lot of time driving may cause tightness and stiffness in the back, neck and shoulders, posture issues or lower back pain, lower body stiffness due to several hours spent sitting, or other musculoskeletal pains and aches or sports - they can also have massive benefits from a sports or remedial massage.
Now let’s go back to the original question and understand why a sports massage can be painful sometimes, and sometimes not!? … Is a sports massage painful?
In order to release tight/stiff muscles or tendons, trigger points or to help ease DOMS, the therapist might need to apply a fair amount of pressure and if the muscles are sore- the massage will feel slightly uncomfortable or even painful in some areas. However, the therapist can ease off the pressure to make it more comfortable for the patient.
During a sports massage, “No pain, No gain” is not always applicable as people have very different pain thresholds and while some are comfortable with a very firm pressure, others can not even bear the minimum.
So, we don’t believe that in a sports massage “the more it hurts, the better it is”!
Pain is subjective and the best thing to do while you have a sports massage is to communicate with your therapist and update them on how you feel during the session, so you’ll get the maximum benefits from it! A sports massage can do wonders if done properly!
To conclude the question ‘is a sports massage painful’,sometimes it can be painful, sometimes it isn’t painful at all! It just depends on the situation and the receiver’s pain threshold.
Trust your therapist and communicate. For this one, you’re in good hands!!
Gabriela
Walking on Clouds team
Are you looking for sports massages London? Why not contact us at Walking On Clouds?
