Sports Massage Sheffield
What are the main treatment aims of sports massage?
From pounding the streets of Sheffield training for this year’s half marathon, to sitting at your desk at work each day, we all undertake activity that over time has a detrimental impact on our bodies. Sports massage therapy is an excellent form of treatment to correct the imbalances in soft tissue generally arising from such repetitive activity.
Not only this, sports massage and deep tissue massage is also an excellent form of treatment for any of those unfortunate sports-related injuries – be it a nasty tackle, a nasty fall, or some other sort of impact preventing you from being on top of your game.
The main aims of sports massage are to increase blood flow, reduce muscle tension and tightness, increase joint range of movement and aid in muscular recovery and adaptation.
Please call the clinic or use the form below to book your sports massage and we look forward to meeting and working with you soon.
How does sports massage differ from other types of massage?
The primary difference is that sports massage focuses on obtaining maximum physical function over obtaining maximum relaxation, which is the primary aim of most non-sports massage sessions.
In terms of how a sports massage might differ from what is typically called a deep tissue massage, a sports massage is more area-specific, focussing on larger and older knots that have built up over longer periods of time due to high training volume, trauma, muscle imbalance or poor biomechanics.
Although considered two slightly different therapeutic approaches, the strokes and techniques used during a deep tissue and a sports massage are fairly similar, with the use of circular movements, kneading, tapping and vibrations being consistent across both.
Should you request a deep tissue or sports massage?
If, after reading the above, you still feel unsure about what or not you require a sports massage or deep tissue massage, then do not worry. All appointments start with a discussion around the pain or discomfort you’re currently experiencing, your current levels of exercise and activity, and your future health-related goals and ambitions, followed by an initial assessment of areas affected.
From this starting point, our highly experienced physiotherapists and massage therapists are able to determine the best course of action to undertake, which we will talk you through in plenty of detail.
What to expect during your massage treatment?
Treatment will begin with lighter palpations of the area to uncover areas of tension. Once found, your therapist will then gradually begin to work deeper into the tissue. Don’t worry, though, communication will be maintained throughout and intensity adjusted to suit your preference and ensure that you’re comfortable.
On conclusion of the massage, your therapist will likely give you advice on any further treatment or stretches that may help in the interim, as well as ensure you have plenty of water to drink to flush out those toxins.
Just so you’re aware, you are more than welcome to bring a friend or family member along to your treatment, and please do let us know if you’d rather be seen by a same sex therapist.
Does sports massage have to hurt to be effective?
Not at all. Many of our clients report how relaxing their sports massage sessions are! If the thought of a sports massage being painful is putting you off, you needn’t worry. If your previous sports massages have all been pain pain pain, with no relaxing element interspersed throughout, I’d say that the therapist woke up on the wrong side of bed that morning!
However, sports massage does entail a range of techniques, some of which can be uncomfortable (but not painful) – namely, the use of deep transverse frictions, as well as the use of trigger point therapy. Don’t worry, though, communication will be maintained throughout and intensity adjusted to suit your preference.
Do you have to be sporty to benefit from sports massage?
Both sporting and non-sporting individuals have regular sports massage due to the vast array of benefits it has for the human body. For the sporting population, sports massage aids with performance enhancement, injury prevention and injury rehabilitation. For the non-sporting population, sports massage is beneficial for reducing musculoskeletal injuries due to occupation and/or posture, such as lower back pain, or reducing muscle tightness in the upper back and neck due to long periods of time sat in an office chair.
TO BOOK YOUR SPORTS MASSAGE, PLEASE CALL THE CLINIC OR SIMPLY ENTER YOUR DETAILS BELOW AND OUR TEAM WILL GET BACK TO YOU SHORTLY.
Our Sports & Deep Tissue Massage Rooms
Sports Massage & Deep Tissue Articles
Deep Tissue & Sports Massage Success Stories
I came to Katie Bell Physiotherapy & Wellness with a calf strain (severe!). The massage is massively helpful, personalised and has resolved my problem. The massage had brilliant immediate effects – feeling loser, more relaxed and after a few days my injury recovered greatly. The therapist provided good advice on stretching, running technique and self-management.
I had been coming to Pilates for a while and was starting to take my running far more seriously. At the same time, I was beginning to be more aware of the places that my body ached in after a run and wanted to decrease the risk of developing a running injury. This led me to try a free taster sports massage session to see if this would help.
After my first session with Helen I then signed up straight away for another 6 sessions (and then another 6 and so on). To be honest, the first session was uncomfortable, Helen knew just by touch exactly where all my stiff and achy and knotty bits were, and then spent the rest of the session working as hard as she could to get rid of them! However, she was then, and continues to be now, brilliant. As well as being extremely good at massaging my sore bits she also gives me loads of advice (often from her own experience) about how to minimise my injury risk – and it works!
Following my most recent massage I really felt a difference in my legs (I had the massage 3 days after running a half marathon). They felt lighter and less achy, and Helen also found some bits that I didn’t even know were sore. She applied just the right amount of pressure to ensure that my massage was therapeutic without being agonising, especially as I have another race coming up shortly.
I can honestly say that without the help of Helen, and all of Katie’s team, I would not have managed to get through my London marathon training without serious injury. I am not a natural runner, but with Katie’s team help I now have the confidence to run the London Marathon and know that I’ll be fine – and if it hurts afterwards (and it will) then I know where I need to come to get myself sorted, and actually my post London Marathon massage with Helen is booked already!
I came for a sports massage for back and hip discomfort. The experience has been excellent experience. I found it really helpful and also very relaxing. The location and facilities are great and i would recommend it. I am improving all the time!