Sports massage should play an important part in the life of any sportsman or woman whether they are injured or not. Massage has a number of benefits both physical, physiological and psychological.

Massage will:
* Maintain the body generally in better condition.
* Prevent injuries and loss of mobility.
* Cure and restore mobility to injured muscle tissue.
* Boost performance.
* Extend the overall life of your sporting career.

Physical effects are:

* Pumping - The stroking movements in massage suck fluid through blood vessels and lymph vessels. By increasing the pressure in front of the stroke, a vacuum is created behind. This is especially important in tight or damaged muscle tissue as a tight muscle will squeeze blood out like a sponge, depriving the tissues of vital nutrients and energy to repair.

* Increased tissue permeability  -  Deep  massage  causes  the  pores  in  tissue membranes to open, enabling fluids and nutrients to pass through. This helps remove waste products such as lactic acid and encourage the muscles to take up oxygen and nutrients which help them recover quicker.

* Stretching - Massage can stretch tissues that could not be stretched in the usual methods. Bundles of muscle fibres are stretched lengthwise as well as sideways. Massage can also stretch the sheath or fascia that surrounds the muscle, so releasing any tension or pressure build up.

* Break down scar tissue - Scar tissue is the result of previous injuries or trauma and can effect muscle, tendons and ligaments. This can lead to inflexible tissues that are prone to injury and pain.

* Improve tissue elasticity  -  Hard  training  can  make  tissues  hard and inelastic. This is one reason why hard training may not result in improvements. Massage helps reverse this by stretching the tissues.

* Opens micro-circulation - Massage does increase blood flow to tissues, but so does exercise. What massage also does is open or dilate the blood vessels and by stretching them this enables nutrients to pass through more easily.

Physiological effects are:

* Pain reduction - Tension and waste products in muscles can often cause pain. Massage helps reduce this in many ways including releasing the bodies endorphins.

* Relaxation - Muscles relax through heat generated, circulation and stretching. Mechanoreceptors which sense touch, pressure, tissue length and warmth are stimulated causing a reflex relaxation.

Psychological effects are:

* Anxiety reduction - through the effects mentioned above relaxation is induced and so reduces anxiety levels.

* Invigorating - if massage is done with brisk movements such as what would be done before an event then this can produces an invigorating feeling.
© 2005-2008. Barrie Spirit Soccer
Massage  -  Benefits  and  Effects
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We would like to thank Mike and www.sportsinjuryclinic.net for allowing us to publish this article on the Barrie Spirit Soccer website.
Please remember the information on this site is for information purposes only and cannot replace the sports injury specialists.