SPORTS THERAPY
Sports Massage
Sports massage is a 'hands on' treatment technique that is used to mobilise and manipulate the bodies soft tissue. It is designed to assist in correcting problems and imbalances in soft tissue that are caused from repetitive and strenuous physical activity and trauma. The pressure applied during a sports massage session differs notably from a typical massage. Traditional massage utilises softer, more general pressure, whereas sports massage uses deep, targeted pressure to target specific muscles and parts of the body.
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Sports massage was originally developed for athletes to prevent and relieve injuries that can manifest after repeated strenuous physical activity or injury. However both athletes and non athletes can gain physiological and psychological benefits from receiving sports massage therapy.
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Sports massage can be extremely effective for anyone who wants to rejuvenate their body if they are feeling sore, injured, in pain or simply physically tired.
Dry Cupping
Dry cupping therapy is an extremely popular treatment for muscle tension, chronic pain, fatigue and inflammation. Small plastic cups are positioned onto troubled areas of the body and the air inside the cups are vacuumed out which creates a suction to pull the tissue up slightly. This ultimately triggers the body's natural healing process as the vacuum lift helps to increase blood circulation at the point of injury and induces a stretch effort which results in the relaxation of muscles and tissues and a reduction in associated pain. The increased circulation reduces tension and in turn can promote cell repair through improved blood flow.
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During dry cupping therapy, the cups can either be left in a static position at rest or with movement and the application time usually ranges from 5 to 10 minutes. The stretch that is produced in the soft tissue and fascia leads to a relaxation effect within the muscle, which results in improved range of motion and performance.
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Dry cupping works well in conjunction with sports massage, as the lifting effect provided from the cups works synergistically with the downward pressure application of manual massage.
Percussive Therapy
Percussive therapy is a type of soft tissue treatment that incorporates a power tool. The primary tool used to deliver this treatment is the massage gun. When the massage gun is applied, the massage head pounds away rhythmically, applying rapid repetitive pressure on muscle tissue. This ultimately increases blood flow for faster recovery, pain relief, and improved range of motion.
The rapid repetitive pressure on sore muscles, stimulates the nerve receptors and desensitises the area, which is able to create a reduction in pain.
This form of therapy has the ability to reach deeper than what the human hands can or even foam rollers, which is great for people who have tight tense knots deep within the layers of muscles and fascia.
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This is an excellent form of therapy to utilise within your sports massage session.
Muscle Scraping
Muscle scraping is a form of manual therapy that has been found to accelerate the healing process of soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia. It can be considered a form of Gua Sha, a healing technique used in traditional East Asian medicine to relieve muscle pain and tension.
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Muscle scraping can be used as a preventative measure. If you are prone to developing knots in your muscles, then regular scraping can help to prevent this from happening.
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The tool that we have at our disposal is the world's first heated muscle scraper with three adjustable temperatures. It possesses the ability to heat up to 50 degrees Celsius and the combination of both heat and scraping provides increased blood flow which promotes healing.
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The muscle scraper will be gently dragged over areas of soft tissue to help break up adhesions and scar tissue that have formed as a result of trauma or injuries to the muscles or connective tissues.
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This form of therapy can be performed on its own or as part of a more comprehensive routine, where it can be combined with other techniques such as cupping and massage.
