Sports massage

Massage has been defined as “a mechanical manipulation of body tissues with rhythmical pressure and stroking for promoting health and well-being”.

Sports massage is a type of massage where the focus lies on deeper layers of tissues. Techniques such as kneading, skin rolling, and trigger pointing are used which helps to improve flexibility, prevent injury, reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), as well as break down tension. Other benefits include increased blood flow, reduced muscle tension and neurological excitability, and an increased sense of well-being.

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Sport massage is not only used by sports people, but people who work behind a desk all day, stand for long hours whilst teaching, or work in a physical environment where heavy objects are lifted, can benefit from having a rub down.

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The following illustration shows the possible effects massage has on the body:

References
Benjamin, P.J. & Scott, P.L.  2005.  Understanding sports massage. 2nd ed. Human Kinetics. USA. 8-18p.
Weerapong, P., Hume, P.A. & Kolt, G.S.  2005.  The mechanism of Massage and effects on performance, muscle recovery and injury prevention. Sports medicine, 35(5):237-238.