Sports massage can prevent injuries and muscle problems, whatever sport you choose. At all levels of sport, massage is a necessity and should be seen as part of training rather than a luxury, ensuring that muscles are in peak condition, aiding recovery and enhancing performance. Regular massage will help maintain good muscle condition, improve flexibility and aid lymphatic drainage.
Sports massage is a deep form of soft tissue massage, using specific techniques to treat injuries caused by physical stresses placed on the body. It is designed to enhance performance, aid recovery from training and/or injury and rebalance the body. Deep layers of muscle tissue are massaged using a variety of techniques, assisting the removal of built up lactic acid and treating soft tissue injuries.
- Used as part of a rehabilitation programme, it will speed up the recovery process on acute or chronic muscle, tendon and ligament injuries.
- Used in conjunction with an athlete’s warm up, sports massage is beneficial pre-event, whether for relaxation or stimulation, to enhance circulation and reduce muscular and mental tension.
- During competition, inter-event Sport Massage can help an athlete finish.
- Alongside a stretching and cool down programme, post-event massage can help reduce muscle spasm and build-up of lactic acid, and enhance relaxation and recovery from training and events.
Vital Hands’ clients include national and international rowers, marathon and ultra distance runners, extreme sportsmen and women, dancers and cricketers.
Charlotte is registered with the ISRM and is eligible to provide sports massage therapy to British Athletics Commission (BAC) athletes. BAC recognises that its athletes should receive the best quality treatment to help them recover from training and prevent injury. Its membership includes over 3,000 Olympic, Paralympic and World Class funded elite athletes. BAC also represents those recognised as development athletes, those in the Talented Athletes Sponsorship Scheme (TASS) and more than 1,000 retired athletes.
Link to BAC site: http://www.britishathletes.org/
