Most of us have a good understanding of what Massage Therapy is, but what is Sports Massage Therapy? And could it be helpful for your injury or issue?

The odds are most likely yes!

Primarily, Guelph Performance is an Athletic Therapy clinic that focuses on injury recovery and rehabilitation, but we use many other skills to fit the unique requirements of each individual and injury. One of these is Sports Massage. But how does it differ from other types of massage? And would it work for you?

In today’s blog, we’ll discuss what an appointment might look like and whether it might be a good fit for you!

Sports Massage is more Targeted

While a standard RMT treatment might have the broader goal of treating general tension or muscle soreness, Sports Massage tends to be a little more targeted.

For example, if you injured your knee while running, we may focus the entire hour-long treatment on that leg and barely touch the other side of your body. In fact, many treatments can be completed fully-clothed as the entire session could be only working on one specific body part.

Sports Massage is More Relevant for Athletes

Because sports massage usually has a clear goal for treating a specific injury, it makes much more sense for athletes and active individuals than a standard massage treatment.

Athletes often have unique requirements of their body and so might need targeted care that accounts for this.

Runners will often have joint and lower body issues to work through. Industrial athletes could have back injuries from lifting or other repetitive movements. Whatever the unique requirements of your sport or activity, a sports massage treatment will approach with an aim to address them.

For this reason, a sports massage is a good option for acute or nagging injuries.

Sports Massage Treatment Plan Includes Exercise

While most RMT appointments should include a component of exercises you should be doing at home, sports massage relies heavily on an exercise prescription to help your injury recovery.

These exercises might be more intense, or difficult than you might expect from a standard massage treatment. They might also include some specialized gym equipment.

At Guelph Performance, since we have a fully-equipped gym, we are able to use a wide range of equipment to suit your injury as well as your sport.

But, I’m Not an Athlete…

You might like the idea of a sports massage but don’t assume that it wouldn’t be a good fit for you because you don’t consider yourself an athlete!

An athlete doesn’t mean a pro-NHL player. For us, Athlete means anyone that moves with purpose.

If you lift heavy things at work, you’re an industrial athlete. Work out semi-regularly? You’re an athlete! And if you want to run and jump with your kids or grandkids, you’re definitely an athlete.

The principles we use for a sports massage will work for anyone. So if it’s a treatment style that you like, give it a try. You might enjoy the more active approach to rehabbing your injury!