Though sports massage for injury prevention is designed for athletes, it can also help non-athletes.
It can reduce the risks of injuries, ease chronic pain, tension, and muscle aches, improve restricted movement, and support recovery. While the techniques for non-athletes aren’t sport-specific, they are still very effective the achieving the above-mentioned benefits.
Learning sports massage allows therapists to expand their skills and achieve great results with their clients. This blog will introduce therapists to the best sports massage techniques, their application, as well as how they contribute to injury prevention for all clients.
Related: Sports Massage: Enhancing Training, Participation, and Recovery for Today's Athlete, 2nd Edition
What is sports massage?
Unlike relaxation massage, sports massage for injury prevention focuses on the specific muscles an athlete uses while performing. It targets affected areas by repetitive training and motion.
Therapists use various techniques based on their client’s needs. Some therapists include effleurage and petrissage to warm up the tissue and improve circulation. They may also use joint mobilization techniques, deep-tissue strokes, and dynamic stretching to improve mobility and speed up recovery.
These techniques, the pressure, and speed, therapists use depend on whether the client needs pre-event preparation, post-event recovery, or rehabilitative massage. Depending on their purpose, these techniques can reduce tension, prevent injuries, and optimize performance.
Benefits of sports massage for injury prevention
While it was originally made for athletes, sports massage can benefit anyone looking for more mobility and pain relief. It has several benefits, including:
Improved recovery
Sports massage speeds up recovery by increasing blood flow, which helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to tired muscles. Massage therapists can get their clients back training fresher and better with regular massages and reduce the risks of injuries.
Increased flexibility and range of motion
Manual techniques, like stretching and tissue manipulation, can release tension and improve joint mobility and muscle elasticity. This can reduce clients' injury risks and help them move more efficiently.
Reduction in Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
Massage reduces DOMS by removing metabolic waste from the muscles, which can decrease post-workout inflammation. Therapists achieve this through techniques like effleurage and petrissage, which stimulate blood flow and lymphatic drainage, helping the body clear toxins and repair the tissues more efficiently.
Decreased fatigue
Sports massage reduces tension, and pain, improves blood flow, and fights stress, by lowering cortisol levels (stress hormone). This can combat fatigue and even lead to better sleep.
This type of massage also aids in relaxation, which is essential for healthy sleep. It's the perfect drug-free option for anyone who's after relief from everyday stress.
Reduces microtears and scar tissues
Sports massage can help reduce microtears and prevent scar tissue formation by improving blood flow and promoting tissue repair. Techniques, like cross friction in sports massage, can help realign collagen fibers and reduce stiffness. This can prevent the development of excessive scar tissue.
Regular massage also speeds up healing after injuries by stimulating circulation, which delivers nutrients to the affected area while removing metabolic waste. Scar massage is often used in post-surgical rehabilitation to promote better healing.
Key techniques in sports massage for injury prevention
Each sports massage technique serves a unique purpose and targets specific injuries. Below are several effective techniques therapists can use to improve tissue health.
Effleurage, tapotement and petrissage
Effleurage uses fast, long strokes, while tapotement involves tapping, chopping, or cupping movements. These techniques warm up the muscles and increase circulation.
Petrissage uses kneading, rolling, and squeezing movements. It lifts and compresses the soft tissues to improve circulation, and release tension. They are the perfect pre-event massage techniques for improving performance. The session typically lasts only 10 to 15 minutes and targets the muscles specific to the athlete’s sport.
Therapists can make these techniques deeper and slower, making them suitable as a post-event massage, too. Both pre-event and post-event massages are important parts of an athlete’s injury prevention routine for better preparation and recovery.
Trigger point therapy
Trigger pointing involves direct pressure to a tight band or hyper-irritable spots within the muscle. The therapist maintains the pressure until it subsides, followed by gentle stretching and heat.
Trigger therapy is commonly used for conditions like plantar fasciitis or shoulder impingement. It reduces localized or referred pain and improves muscle function.
Related: Trigger Point Therapy
Myofascial release
Myofascial release uses gentle, sustained pressure on the fascia (connective tissue). It focuses on long gliding strokes that reduce tightness and improve tissue elasticity. This is an ideal technique for treating the thick band called IT band, or IT band syndrome.
Therapists can also use myofascial release on the lower back to loosen the thoracolumbar fascia and reduce restrictions of the area.
Deep-tissue massage
As the name suggests, deep tissue massage reaches the deeper layers of muscles and connective tissues. It uses slow, firm strokes to reach the deep muscles, relieve chronic muscle tension, and promote better blood flow.
Therapists can gradually introduce deep tissue work after hamstring strains during the remodeling phase (2–6 weeks post-injury). In the chronic phase (6+ weeks), deep tissue massage helps address scar tissue and supports improved healing.
Joint mobilization and assisted stretching
Joint mobilization uses passive movements on the joints. In case of frozen shoulder or ankle sprains, it can improve the range of movement and restore the mobility of the joints. In contrast, stretching lengthens the muscles and improves their flexibility.
Therapists can use Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) techniques for deeper stretching to reduce the risk of re-injury, for example after hip flexor strains. It prepares the body for functional movement and prevents compensatory patterns.
Cross-friction
Cross friction applies firm pressure perpendicular to the muscle fibers. This technique breaks up adhesions and scar tissue and improves the glide of soft tissues. It helps to realign the collagen fibers and reduce stiffness, which can prevent the development of excessive scar tissue.
This is perfect for remodeling the scar tissue after Achilles tendinitis and promoting healing of the tendon after rotator cuff tears.
How to provide an effective sports massage session
Before treatment, therapists should ask their clients to fill out a questionnaire to learn about their injury history and prepare for the session ahead by setting goals. They should begin their treatment by assessing their client’s mobility, movement patterns, and posture. Understanding their client’s injury history, muscular imbalances, and range of motion allows therapists to personalize the treatment and speed up recovery.
They should address areas of tension by palpating tissues and considering techniques, movement, and muscles related to the client’s sport or daily activities. They should retest for mobility and movement after the massage to monitor progress.
During the session, therapists should maintain open communication, adjusting pressure and techniques to their client's comfort. Therapists should obtain consent before treatment, and check for potential allergies to lotions or waxes.
Educating clients on self-care practices, such as stretching, exercises, and hydration, helps enhance the benefits of the massage. Staying updated through continuous education and certification is essential for therapists to refine their skills and deliver high-quality care.
For clients with chronic injuries, therapists should recommend consulting a healthcare professional or doctor.