Schedule Appointment: (202)299-1200
Holistic health in the heart of DuPont Circle!
This is the homepage collage.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Services
Sports Massage - Washington, DC
Sports Massage is designed for individuals who engage in rigorous physical activity and place high demands on their bodies. A combination of techniques are used by the massage therapist and aimed at helping muscles and tissues to repair or recover faster. This maintains flexibility, keeping the athlete injury-free and able to perform at a high level. The strokes used are generally faster than Swedish massage and facilitated stretching is incorporated into the session.
Massage immediately before and after an athletic event will help reduce muscle spasms that can occur with vigorous exercise.
Regular sports massage can yield the following benefits:
- reduce the chance of injury
- improve mobility and muscle flexibility, resulting in improved power and performance
- shorten recovery time
- maximize the supply of oxygen and nutrients through increased blood flow
- enhance the elimination of metabolic by-products of exercise (lactic acid)
How Does Sports Massage Help?
Recovery. Massage helps the body recover from the stresses of rigorous exercise, and facilitates the rebuilding phase of training. The physiological benefits include improved blood and lymph circulation, muscle relaxation, and general relaxation. This, in turn, leads to the removal of waste products and results in better cell nutrition, greater elasticity of tissues, deactivation of trigger points, and quicker healing of injuries. Overall soreness and stiffness is decreased, flexibility is increased, and the potential for future injury is also decreased.
In addition to general recovery, sports massage can also focus on specific muscles that might get overused during training. For example, areas of greater stress for runners are in the legs, for swimmers in the upper body, and for tennis players in the arms. These areas are more likely to be tight, to lose flexibility, and to develop trigger points.
Over-training. Over-training, characterized by irritability, apathy, altered appetite, increased resting heart rate, increased frequency of injury, and/or insomnia. It occurs when the body does not recover adequately between bouts of heavy exercise. Sports massage can help you avoid over-training by facilitating recovery.
Trouble spots. Each athlete has unique trouble spots, perhaps from past injuries or overuse. A massage therapist can pay attention to these areas, monitor them for developing problems, and keep them in good condition. An experienced therapist can compliment treatment received from other health professionals for variety of injuries..
Sports massage can involve prevention and maintenance programs, on-site massage before and after an event, and rehab programs for those who are injured.
Maintenance Sports Massage
A massage therapist bases an effective maintenance program on their understanding of anatomy and kinesiology, combined with expert knowledge of the specific muscle groups that are used in a given sport and which are most likely to become trouble spots. By zeroing in on specific muscle groups, the massage therapist can help the athlete to maintain or to improve mobility and flexibility. The primary objective of a maintenance program is to help the athlete reach peak performance through injury-free training.
Event Sports Massage
Pre-event sports massage is given within the four hours preceding an event to improve performance and help decrease injuries. It is used as a supplement to an athlete's warm-up to enhance circulation and reduce excess muscle and mental tension prior to competition. It is normally shorter (10-15 minutes) than a regular conditioning massage, and focuses on warming-up the major muscles to be used, and getting the athlete in a good mental state for competition. It also improves tissue pliability, readying the athlete for top performance. Certain massage techniques can help calm a nervous athlete, and others can be stimulating. Pre-event sports massage is given within the four hours preceding an event to improve performance and help decrease injuries. It is used as a supplement to an athlete's warm-up to enhance circulation and reduce excess muscle and mental tension prior to competition. It is normally shorter (10-15 minutes) than a regular conditioning massage, and focuses on warming-up the major muscles to be used, and getting the athlete in a good mental state for competition. It also improves tissue pliability, readying the athlete for top performance. Certain massage techniques can help calm a nervous athlete, and others can be stimulating.
Inter/Intra-event Sports Massage
Inter- and intra-event massage is given between events or in time-outs to help athletes recover from the preceding activity, and prepare for the activity coming up. It is also short, and focuses on the major muscles stressed in the activity. Inter- and intra-event massage is given between events or in time-outs to help athletes recover from the preceding activity, and prepare for the activity coming up. It is also short, and focuses on the major muscles stressed in the activity.
Post-event Sports Massage
Post-event sports massage is provided after competition and is concerned with enhancing recovery. It is focused on reducing muscle spasms and metabolic build-up that occurs with strenuous exercise. Recovery involves not only tissue repair and normalization, but also overall relaxation and mental calming. A recovery session might be 15 minutes to 90-minutes in length.
Rehabilitation
Even with preventive maintenance, muscles cramps, tears, bruises, and aches can occur. Sports massage can speed up healing and reduce discomfort during the rehabilitation process.
Soft tissue techniques employed by massage therapists are effective in the management of acute and chronic injuries. Trigger point techniques reduce spasms and the pain that can occur in the injured and complementing muscles. Cross-fiber friction techniques can improve the formation of strong and flexible tissue repair, which is vital in maintaining a pain-free full range of motion during the rehabilitation process.
Let us help you keep your training and competing on track with regular sports massage!
| For peak performance schedule a sports massage online or contact our staff at 202-299-1200. |  |