Sports / Remedial Massage
Are your employees playing sports during the week? Are they off mountain biking or running at the weekend? Even those who are not sporty can benefit from the deeply soothing strokes of a Sports Massage. Sports massage differs from swedish / holistic massage in that it targets specific muscles associated with the prevention or management of aches and pains, whereas traditional massage takes a more holistic, relaxation inducing approach.
What to Expect:
The sports massage tends to be deeper than traditional massage, however it is a misperception that a deep massage is necessarily painful. Throughout the treatment the therapist will ask for feedback from the client regarding the location of any aches and pains and administer a range of techniques to assist their alleviation. A sports massage therapist is also familiar with lighter massage techniques which can be applied for relaxation purposes at the client's request. An extended consultation is usually conducted by the therapist prior to the first treatment.
Benefits:
The sports massage therapist will carefully administer techniques to reduce localised muscle tension (e.g. knots), stretch muscle fibres and encourage healing by improving blood flow to problem areas. The therapist may also give advice, stretches, and exercises to help with injury rehabilitation and prevention. It's not necessarily sporty people who benefit the most, as office workers with back, neck and shoulder pain can achieve the most consistent results from regular sports massage treatments.
Equipment Required:
Sports massage is performed on a standard massage table provided by the therapist. Towels and oils will also be provided.
Room Required:
For sports massage in the office environment a private room is essential, where windows are covered to ensure the client's privacy. It is helpful if the room is warm and quiet. The massage table is usually over 6 foot long and additional space is required around the table to allow the therapist to manouevre. Additional space is useful to enable the therapist to demonstrate stretches and rehabilitation exercises.
Recommended Treatment Lengths:
A sports massage requires a minimum of 30 minutes up to 60 minutes. The appropriate treatment length will usually have been advised by the therapist during a previous visit. It is advised that an additional 15 minutes is allowed for the first consultation with the sports massage therapist to enable a full assessment and discussion of treatment.
Event Suitability:
Sports massage is not usually suitable for 'one off' events, unless the event is sports related. Sports massage is particularly suited to those companies who are already used to having on site therapy treatments and want to broaden the range of treatments available. To maintain continuity of treatments it is suggested that a regular sports therapist is allocated to a particular company and that treatment days are organised around the availability of the therapist.