What Is Sports Massage?

Sports massage is the specific application of massage techniques, hydrotherapy protocols, range of motion/flexibility protocol and strength-training principles utilized to achieve a specific goal when treating an athlete. Notice my use of the phrase, "specific application ... to achieve a specific goal." So, how do you decide what application and goal is appropriate for a particular treatment?

Three Key Principles of Sports Massage

Three specific principles are vital to understanding what type of sports massage to apply to an athlete at any given time. I call these principles the "when, what and why" of sports massage: Timing, Technique and Intent.

Timing refers to when the massage is given. Are you working on the athlete prior to competition or post-event during recovery? Is massage therapy more suitable as maintenance or to help an athlete recover from injury? Knowing when massage is most appropriate and helpful to an athlete assures the are getting the most benefit.

Technique is more obvious, meaning what massage modality, or combination of massage modalities, is best at any given time. A number of different techniques can be effective when working with athletes, including effleurage, friction, pettrisage, vibration, shaking, compression, broadening strokes, direct pressure, cross-fiber friction, as well as techniques that help increase range of motion.

Intent includes your reason or reasons for using massage therapy and specific massage techniques. Are you helping the athlete warm up? Does the athlete need to maximize blood circulation? Are they looking for help recovering from exertion? Do they want massage that will help increase or maintain range of motion? When you understand what the athlete is hoping to accomplish, you can develop a massage session that gives them the most benefit.

Putting It All Together

Let's look at a few examples of how timing, technique and intent work. Here are a few simple examples that illustrate the importance of understanding the when, what and why of sports massage:

• If you need to provide a pre-event massage, and the intent is to warm-up and increase blood flow, I would use techniques such as friction, compression, shaking and stretching.
• If you need to provide a post-event massage, and the intent is to aid recovery from exertion, I would use effleurage, pettrisage, compression, broadening strokes and range of motion.
• If you are working with an injured athlete, and your intent is to assist proper formation of scar tissue, I would use effleurage, compression and cross-fiber friction, followed by ice treatment and movement.

As you can probably tell, understanding sports massage is never as simple as learning one technique. A sports massage therapist who understands these three key principles should be able to apply the appropriate treatment at the appropriate time.

Mastering the application of sports massage takes years of education and experience, not to mention a love of athletics. No one modality, technique or approach works every time. It is the love of what you do, and the people you work with, that enable you to perfect your sports massage technique.

Read More About How to Effectively Work With Athletes:

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