Sports Massage

Sports Massage therapy, both pre and post event, is useful in relieving stress, strain, tension, postural imbalances and chronic pain as well as preventing injury and enhancing rehabilitation.

Sports massage was developed in the 1900’s using Swedish Massage techniques and modern sports massage became evident at the 1924 Olympic Games when Paavo Nurmi, a Finnish athlete, brought a massage therapist to the games to assist in pre and post event treatment. Nurmi won 5 gold medals and attributed some of the success to having massage treatment.
Then from 1924 - 1930 Dr I.M. Sarkisov-Sirasani taught sports massage to students in Moscow in the Institute of Physical Therapy and in 1950 the Soviet government support research and development of sports massage techniques and this continues to the present day.

In the late 1980′s to early 1990′s, Sports massage became a modality unto itself with more specific training taking place for the practitioner to be able to address the specific needs of athletes whose bodies are undergoing intense physical exertion and stress.

The Treatment

The object of the pre-event massage is to assist the competitor to prepare him or herself to compete at their maximum potential. To achieve this objective it is necessary to ensure that you increase circulation, warm the muscles evenly, release the muscle fibre to allow stretching and full contraction and remove any waste that is within the muscle. A pre-event massage can be performed anytime from two days until immediately before a sporting event.

The object of the post-event massage is to assist the competitor to recover from the event and reduce the risk of acid and waste build up causing pain, stiffness, lack of mobility and prolonged recovery time. To achieve this objective it is necessary to maintain healthy circulation, ease muscles that are in spasm or “knotted” and ensure that waste is moved towards the areas of the body where they can be eliminated. Most athletes carry out a cooling down routine but often fail to do so after competition because of sheer exhaustion, elation or disappointment. Massage can be an adequate substitute for a warm down as it can achieve much of the same effect by removing muscle waste and stretching the tissues. Post-event sports massage should be given within an hour or two of the event, to normalise the body's tissues.

Treatment Benefits

Pre-Event Treatment Benefits

Increased Blood Supply
Joint Mobility
Improved Mental Outlook
Stretches Tissues

Post-Event Treatment Benefits

Removal of waste products from the muscle tissue
Acceleration of the recovery process

Before and After your Treatment

Here is some guidance on what to do to prepare for your treatment along with what you can expect after the treatment too

Try to avoid eating a large meal at least 1 hour before your treatment. Please also refrain from consuming alcohol or using other substances before any treatment or therapy.
Arrive on time. This insures that you don’t arrive flustered and stressed. It also means that you will get the most out of your treatment. We ask all clients to arrive 10-15 minutes before their treatment is due to begin.
Talk to your therapist. If you are concerned or anxious about anything to do with your treatment let us know. We want to make sure you are comfortable and relaxed.
We ask our clients to ensure they arrive clean and ready for their treatment. If you are coming straight from work or the gym, please let us know and we can arrange for the use of our shower facilities before the treatment. (A surcharge will apply).
All new clients will need to complete a full medical and lifestyle questionnaire before their treatment. All existing clients will need to complete a treatment record card before any subsequent treatments. This is to ensure we can provide you with the best possible care and to comply with our insurance policies.
Please wear loose comfortable clothing and appropriate underwear. For any spa treatments, a robe will be provided for your comfort.

Everyone client has to complete a medical and lifestyle questionaire on their first visit - we ask you to arrive early (approximately 20 minutes) to allow you time to complete this in our relaxation area. On every subsequent visit you will be asked to confirm that none of the details have changed. This is primarily for your protection and to ensure we are aware of any contra-indications before providing tretment. It is also a requirment of our insurers.

Drink plenty of water to help flush out toxins; massage aids the removal of toxins from the body
Coffee, tea and cola should be avoided as they contain caffeine. Aim to drink two glasses of water after each drink of tea or coffee if not. Or try to drink herbal infusions in place of tea or coffee
Avoid any headache tablets as these too contain caffeine
Avoid eating a heavy meal. Eat a light and natural diet, as refined and processed foods add to the toxicity levels within the body and hinder the natural healing process
Do not smoke or drink alcohol for the next 24 hours. Alcohol and smoking are counter-productive as they increase the levels of toxins in the body.

Healing Crisis

Some people may experience the following after treatment: