How To Choose the Best Sports Massage Therapist for You

The American Massage Therapy Association reported that 21% of women and 25% of men reported getting a massage in the past year, with more than half of those people citing health and wellness as their primary motivations.

Sports massage therapy is a form of physical therapy that's more intense than your average session. If you're someone who's striving to reach their fitness goals, it might be right for you.

Keep reading to learn more about how a sports massage therapist can help you speed up your recovery time and improve your athletic performance. 

What Is a Sports Massage Therapist? 

A massage therapist who focuses on providing massage therapies to athletes is known as a sports massage therapist. They use methods that can relax muscles, enhance blood flow, lessen unneeded stress, and otherwise enhance their performance, depending on the demands of their clients.

Sports masseuses can give massages to wounded athletes to ease their discomfort and hasten their recuperation. In order to diversify their practice, several sports massage therapists also focus on other techniques.

To relieve stress and discharge toxins, a massage therapist would work on the body's muscles and tissues. Most massage therapists are trained in a variety of techniques. One of these modalities or methods is sports massage.

When giving a sports massage, their aim is to lessen injuries and loosen up tight muscles brought on by activity or sports. A sports massage can enhance blood flow and reduce the risk of injury before a sporting or fitness event. 

Benefits of a Sports Massage

More than half of the adults in the U.S are leading a sedentary lifestyle. This means they're not getting enough physical activity and are at risk of many negative health outcomes.

Most athletes find that massage therapy is an essential component of their individual medical treatment plans to aid in their recovery to normal daily activities. For instance, massage therapy is beneficial following an injury or rigorous athletic event.

Improved Circulation 

Pressure from massages helps to stimulate the flow of blood through clogged areas to improve circulation. As a result of massages, new blood flows into the body. The rubbing and pressure during massage work to remove lactic acid build-up in the muscles and enhances fluid circulation in the lymphatic system.

Reduced Muscle Stiffness

Muscles work to reduce muscle stiffness by raising the temperature of soft tissues, boosting blood flow to loosen up tense muscles. After physical activity, muscles become stiff. Muscle tightness and reduced blood flow gets caused by hypertonicity.

Less Inflammation 

Massage therapy gets known to accelerate healing in the body. A good massage can improve blood flow and reduces tissue stiffness, both of which help to lessen pain. Regular massages work to reduce swelling and enhanced the natural drainage of fluids from the tissues. 

Improved Flexibility

Maintaining and expanding your range of motion can be done by helping with massage therapy. Massage increases your flexibility and range of motion by applying pressure to your muscles, connective tissues, tendons, ligaments, and joints.

Massages soothe your joints and make them more fluid and limber. This newfound flexibility ensures that body stiffness won't make you susceptible to a sports injury. 

When to Get a Sports Massage 

Sports massages help to enhance your athletic performance and reduce the chances of injury. If you want to optimize the impact of your appointment with a sports therapist you should book before or after a game or race.

Pre Event Massages

Sports massages frequently involve lowering blood pressure, gaining strength, and improving flexibility. They activate weak muscles and prepare you to perform at your best. 

A massage is given prior to a match or competition. To ensure that your therapy is concluded between 30 and 60 minutes prior to the event, you should arrange the day of.

Pre-event massage differs from typical therapeutic massage in that nothing in the muscles or ligaments is being improved or fixed. Our main objective is to assist you, the athlete, in being emotionally and physically ready for the upcoming competition.

Post Event Massages 

After your event, a post-event massage is organized. You're probably already feeling stiff, worn out, and tense at this point. And at that point, a massage would be the ideal addition.

A post-event massage can help reduce fatigue and lead to a faster recovery time, so you can get back to training. Scheduling post-event massages after a race or game can help keep you healthy and in the best shape possible. 

Tissue elasticity can benefit from massage after athletic activities. By elevating the temperature and stretching the tissues, several treatments are performed here to aid in developing flexibility. 

Flexibility and range of motion are impacted by the reduced elasticity that occurs when muscles are tense. Taking care of this enhances muscular function and aids in the prevention of further injuries.

Start With a Consultation

Start with a consultation before proceeding with a full massage session. In this way, you can get to know the therapist and learn about their approach to your treatments. You can choose your next course of action if the consultation doesn't make you feel fully at ease.

It's crucial for the therapist to understand the kind of treatment you want to undergo and how you want to feel after it's over. For some clients, the goal is to feel more flexible or relaxed, while for others, it's pain alleviation.

It's equally as important to decide if you want a one-time massage or ongoing massage therapy treatment. You could feel worse when you return to the world after opening a can of heat, such as deeply ingrained tension, trigger points, or fascia kinks. Your therapist can best meet your needs if you are clear about what you desire.

A massage consultation can let the masseuse know about your expectations before and during the massage differ from what you really experience in the treatment room. Knowing what your vision helps you feel more satisfied. 

Find a Convenient Location 

You don't want to be saddled with a long commute back home after a relaxing massage. This is why you want to find a sports massage expert that is local to you. Finding a masseuse nearby will save you from having to make a long commute in addition to being convenient.

If the office is far from your house, you may need to plan out transportation in advance. This will be especially important if you're extremely active and prone to sports-related discomfort. 

Find a practice that won't force you to prolong your massage and leave you in discomfort. Our team will work with you to get your massage on the books as soon as possible. 

You need to ensure that the masseuse's availability coincides with your schedule. Working with a busy practice can be indicative of a good team, but it can also be a burden. Find a reputable practice that has availability that works with your timeline and desired frequency of massages. 

Ask About Masseuse's Experience 

To become licensed to practice massage therapy, you must fulfill specific prerequisites. These specifications guarantee that every therapist is capable of providing great care to their patients.

However, the years and specialties among different masseuses are really what makes them stand out. You should make sure that your masseuses are properly licensed before scheduling a sports massage appointment.

You should also inquire about their experience as massage therapists. Typically, the more expertise a massage therapist has the better. 

Test Out Different Types of Sports Massages 

The type of sports massage you want can vary based on your physical needs. The three most common categories of sports massage are effleurage, petrissage, and friction massages. 

Effleurage Massages

A massage technique called effleurage promotes lymphatic, blood, and relaxation flow. By raising the warmth of the muscles and preparing them for more intense massage techniques that promote circulation.

The lymphatic system is also stimulated by effleurage massages. The lymphatic system promotes the removal of waste from the body, aiding in health maintenance. Effleurage is a helpful massage technique to treat a variety of problems.

Petrissage Massages

By removing muscle knots or spasms, petrissage helps tissues and muscles move more freely. Muscle spasms can be relieved by the squeezing motion used in the petrissage massage method.

Petrissage massages can relax the muscles, loosen up adhesions, and enhance blood circulation. These massages help to increase motion and help prepare you before an event that may strain your muscles. 

Friction Massages

Friction massages are a massage technique called friction that is used to improve circulation and loosen up tight areas, particularly those near joints and those with adhesions in the muscles or tendons.

Deep friction massages are able to help treat tendinopathy and muscular strains. They are also great for post-event massages because of their ability to promote healing. 

Try Out Different Therapists

Each massage therapist puts a lot of themselves into how they massage. The options for your specific massage experience are essentially limitless because there are so many massage techniques and methods for manipulating muscles, ligaments, and tendons accessible. 

If you've never had a massage before, it can be worthwhile to try out a few different therapists to find your ideal massage partner. It is wise to try out the numerous pressure levels offered by massage therapists to choose the one that best suits you.

You might not get the best results from the first sports massage therapist you try. It's okay that way. Before you start looking for a therapist, be aware that you might need to check out a few different ones.

And don't feel guilty about continuing. They'll be pleased that you aren't settling if you don't like the vibe or massage style of a particular therapist. They might even provide some suggestions to improve the quality of your service.

Browse Your Reviews

Before making an appointment, you can look up customer reviews, ratings, or accomplishments. Online reviews significantly influence how a sports massage therapist is seen in the community. These reviews can aid in your decision of who to trust with your physical needs.  

It's critical to consider how prior patients have felt about your massage therapist. You'll want to know if your masseuse was able to help them relieve tension and find comfort. 

You can browse testimonials and reviews online or even ask your massage therapist to connect you with former clients. If you suffer from chronic back pain or discomfort it is essential that you build a strong foundation with your massage therapist. 

Compare Different Rates

Undoubtedly, the cost will be a key factor in determining whether a sports massage is the right choice for you. While you might have coverage after physical trauma, there's a good chance that not all sports massage therapy will get covered by your health insurance, in which case you might have to pay out of pocket.

Before you start inquiring about different massage deals, you need to set a budget. This is an effective way to sift through your sports massage options with ease. Our team at Best Day Fitness is dedicated to providing top-notch care at an affordable cost. 

You should ask for an installment payment option, a credit card payment option, or a third-party payment option. It is vital that you learn your payment options beforehand so you aren't stuck with a stack of hefty bills after your massage.  

Get the Best Sports Massage Therapist

At Best Day Fitness, we understand that your body endures a lot while exercising. That is why our team is dedicated to helping guide you through your training and recovery.

Contact us to get in touch with the best sports massage therapists in your area.