What does a routine injury prevention sports massage consist of?
Each regular sports massage should be aimed at the individual and the sport they participate in. Time-to-Run’s Sports Massage information covers everything relating to basic techniques that are used in preventing injuries via leg and back massage.
Sports Massage Procedures
- Effleurage (light stroking techniques)
- Deep effleurage (deeper stoking movements)
- Petrissage (kneading movements)
- Stripping the quad muscles (sustained pressure along the length of the muscle)
- Stripping the iliotibial band
- Circular frictions
The knee
- Circular frictions
- Frictions to the patella tendon
Front of the lower leg
- Effleurage
- Stripping the muscles
- Cross frictions to the tibialis anterior
The Foot
- Light stroking to top of foot
- Spreading the metatarsals
- Petrissage to sole of foot
- Stripping the plantar fascia
Back of the thigh
- Effleurage to hamstring muscles
- Petrissage to hamstring muscles
- Stripping the muscles
- Circular frictions
Calf muscles
- Effleurage
- Petrissage
- Stripping the muscles
- Splitting the heads of the gastrocnemius
- Circular frictions
- Trigger point techniques
Achilles tendon
- Sustained pressure along the length of the tendon
- Wiggling the tendon
- Circular frictions
Lower back
- Effleurage
- Petrissage
- Stripping the top of the gluteal muscles
- Stripping the errector spinae muscles
- Circular frictions
- Spinal process frictions
- Ironing
Upper back and neck
- Effleurage
- Petrissage
- Circular frictions to upper back
- Stripping the subscapularis muscle
- Stripping the lateral shoulder rotators
- Circular frictions to the lateral shoulder rotators
- Stripping the upper trapezius
- Circular frictions to the upper trapezius muscle
- Circular frictions to the neck
Does a preventative sports massage have to be done in any specific order?
- A massage will usually be in a set order as above.
- One reason for this is the athlete needs only be turned once.
How often should I have a deep tissue sports massage therapy?
It really depends on your time available and your budget. Once a week is a good frequency to have massage although many amateur runners for example might have sports massage every three or four weeks.
Sports massage can be done daily if it is performed lightly. If deep techniques are used then it is likely the muscles will need a day to recover in the same way that they would following a hard training session.
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