Can Sports Massage Cause Injury?
Sports massage is geared primarily to multiple sports and sports injuries. It is an inexpensive and sometimes very demanding form of massage. It operates by stretching near muscles, boosting inactive muscles and enhancing the soft tissue condition.
Precautions
Massage can be a suitable method for cure for certain sports injuries, especially muscle injuries. But it is best to ask for feedback from a trained sports therapist or a sports medicine specialist before doing a massage while coping with an injury. A massage can worsen some ligament and joint injuries requiring immobilisation and special treatment.
Persons with diseases or disabilities should contact the physician prior to a sports massage: acute infectious disease; aneurysm; serious bruising; cancer; hernia; high blood pressure; tissue damage inflammation; osteoporosis; phlebitis; vein varicoses; certain conditions of the skin. Persons intoxicated aren’t ideal sports massage prospects.
Side Effects
Sport massage is safe and effective. There are no adverse side effects when given correctly.
Research and General Acceptance
Sports massage has become a well-established and accepted practice. Various studies in both the United States and Europe have shown that massage, when properly used, will lead to increased blood flow to the muscles and better athletic performance. The practice of sports massage is not considered to be controversial.
Training & certification
Accredited sports massage therapists must first complete a course in general massage at a school accredited by the American Massage Therapy Association/Commission on Massage Training Accreditation/Approval (AMTA/COMTAA) or their State Board of Education. They must then complete an additional training program approved by the AMTA National Sports Massage Certification Programme. Many sports massage practitioners have also completed the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.
Causing New Injuries
The rarest of them all is the risk of a new injury being caused by a deep tissue massage. Typically, most recorded cases of this are in the areas of the neck or back. There are a few steps you can take that are easy.
The main ways of avoiding this are:
- Always make sure that a highly qualified specialist is your therapist.
- You may want to investigate and find a therapist who specializes in that area, if your injury is specific.
- Often inform your therapist your specific injury status. The more they understand, the better prepared they are to deliver the best outcomes for you.
- During your massage appointment, maintain open contact with your therapist. If you are in too much pain or are uncomfortable, tell them.
If you suspect an accident has happened during your therapy, immediately end the session and notify your therapist. After care, if you suspect a new injury, call your psychiatrist and doctor for further action.
