Massage therapy specifically treating Athletes like You
Lately, we are seeing more health-conscious clients and athletes who come for massage therapy before their big competition. Recently we are treating two junior athletes who are involved in indoor soccer club and getting ready for their play off season. With their expectation for the game; our knowledgeable massage therapist focuses more on Hip mobility which is most important muscle for soccer player in their performance.
I play volleyball once a week and do some active weight lifting but for past few weeks I had some bothering pain in my shoulders. After initial assessment with Physiotherapist, she come up with great blend approach of Physiotherapy and Massage therapy; where my physio was focusing on getting my range of movement for my shoulder and our knowledgeable massage therapist is focusing more on restricted scapular movement by applying scapular mobilization technique.
Let’s discuss which muscles and body part are used during these sports and some techniques that can apply treating these type of sport injuries in more detail.
Our expert massage therapist at our Markham and Ajax location have long term knowledge on treating sport specific injuries. Our therapists have long term reputation to be skillful in treating injuries occur during racket sports, volleyball, swimming, basketball, soccer or for runner. For skillful therapists treating sport injuries can increase overall flexibility, muscle mobilities, increase performance towards game and decrease potential injuries which give great boost in athletes physical as well as mental preparation.
When you see our sport massage therapists, they will consider your muscles movement for your sport so it helps them to determine biomechanical and functional patters of the specific sport. This helps them to educate you to develop injury prevention strategies and treatment plan require to provide best massage treatment needs for your game conditions.
Hip Flexor Release is great massage technique for Basketball, Soccer and Runner:
Athletes who are playing Basketball, Soccer or runner may run into restrictive hip or knee mobility. Basketball player requires great ability to jump or pivot; Soccer player and runner requires to propel the legs forward to achieve sufficient knee-drive during the sprint; all these movements are impacted by the flexibility and strength of hips. Therefore, Hip mobility and stability are key to create the power and speed for jumping, bounding, sprinting and for movement. Along with Hip; quadriceps, hamstring and calves are also main muscled which are used during these sports. The hip flexor muscles may also contribute to these actions by providing free leg forward and upward during recovery phase of running. Therefore, its really important to increase strength as well flexibility of hip flexor muscles to improve the performance of sprinting during sport.
Therefore, our massage therapists are really like to provide hip flexor soft tissue release techniques for athletes who play Basketball, Soccer or runners where Hip is key muscle used to provide great performance of the game. The hip flexion technique involves flexion and extension of the hip with one arm and soft tissue release with another arm. Therapist and Athlete coordination to work this technique more effective. This technique can help in treating in passive movement and active movement. This technique has various variation that can be applied during treatment. This will help athletes to release any rigid complexity in Hip Flexor so it can ease up the movement required in these sports.
Scapular mobilization gliding is great massage technique for racket sports and swimming:
Athletes, like me who play volleyball, racket sport or swimming usually require to use their shoulders; particularly scapula muscles for repetitive overhead movements during swimming or playing tennis. Limited mobility of the scapula can limit the three-dimensional movement of the shoulder complex, not allowing the scapula to clear the rotator cuff when raising arm. Sports like Volleyball, racket sports or swimming requires lot of overhead movements and therefore using these muscles repetitively can lead to strain injuries, alter mechanics that can result in poor performance for the athlete.
Therefore, our therapists use Scapular mobilization techniques which is very useful to increase scapular movement, which may deteriorate due to the change and release of adhesions in the scapulothoracic muscles. These techniques can lead to increase of accessory motion, increase range of motion at the shoulder complex, and improve particular muscle performance. Scapular mobilization involves superior, inferior, medial and lateral glide. This technique has given great result to athletes who has damage their muscles during game and it also helped them to recover from these injuries so they can get back to game in timely manner.
Massage therapist will alter these techniques depending on athletes’ conditions. We have also seen great results when athletes perform combination of physiotherapy and massage therapy approach where physio can improve mobilization of muscles and massage can help to release any trigger points in affected muscles. Our therapists have seen great success by using these two techniques during sport injuries. These techniques have helped athletes to reduce injuries and improve their performance on-field or out of field (during training).
At Healing Touch, our expert massage therapists at Markham or Ajax location has treated many athletes for various injuries. Our focus for Sport specific massage to maximize athletic ability to produce great performance during the game. Feel free to call our Markham office or Ajax Office to book your next appointment, you will see great difference in your Game!
Please note, this blog is generic information and avoided to provide any individual identity due to confidentiality of individuals. We always recommend that you book an appointment with us or your trusted health provider to go through your pain assessment and right treatment. We encourage you to have discussion with your health provider how techniques described in this blog can help you.
