Sports Massage – how many of you get it and…

podium, where are you based?

I do, every two weeks. Feel the benefits physically and mentally so it’s essential for me.

iDave – am down south.Sussex/South downs area.

damn

Well, I didnt expect to get a response as good as that on here. Podium I’m impressed.

How long have you been doing it for? What kind of training did you go for?

Long shot i know, but does anyone know a good one in East Lancashire (Blackburn, Darwen, or Bolton) area?

I used to have a none sports massage at work, it was good to easy my office worker back and it worked for a while. I have been looking at getting a proper sports massage for a long time, like vdubber i got one every day on the 2010 trans wales, and it helped a lot. And I feel my back and legs getting knotty and I think it’s time to have one.

Oh,and i beg to differ on the foam roller comment.As if most people using them on themselves have the slightest inkling of basic functional anatomy,postural imbalances,counter nutation and pelvic obliquity as relating to ITB issues [for example] blahdy blah,so on and so forth.

i just follow what my physio told me. i actually use it less and less now as the other links in the chain have all been sorted with shims/footbeds, a few simple exercises and a bikefit.

Anyone know a good one in Edinburgh?

Kennyp – Try Delphine from here. http://www.thecomplimentaryclinic.co.uk/

I’ve had a few sports massages at events, and I must say they haven’t done much for me. But then again I don’t usually get all stiff and pain ridden either – just tired. They do nothing for that 🙂

The biggest prob with foam roller self MFR [if you can call it that as I believe it’s more of a broad contact trigger point therapy on tender spots…] is that generally body weight is used to apply pressure whilst in a state of precarious balance.So,how easy do you find it to control the pressure? Not easy I would argue,hence working too high on the pain scale.

Generally speaking,tight ITB is a result of the TFL over working,so you need to release that.ITB is the connective tissue from TFL [plus glutes].

A decent therapist will ask themselves,and hopefully explain to you – why is the TFL overworking??
Answer = poor Glute med function.Why poor Gmed function…and so on.

In other words,if you want a long term solution you need to hunt for the causal factors.Which is where it gets complex and needs a knowledge of ingrained movement patters,previous trauma [physical and emotional] working posture and so on.

Tight ITB could be the result of a shoulder injury 20 years go,for instance.

Back to the painful treatments issue,effective work should be in the 4-6 range on a scale from 1-10.
TP work can go up to a 7,but doesn’t need to be espesh if you use movement with the pressure.Most are just taught to use static pressure…

Indirect MFR uses very moderate sustained pressure, sometimes just a few grammes-worth to elicit a liquifying of the fascia which can dry out and stick to itself and other structures.Analogous to very slooowly peeling off a sticker,if you like.

If you are doing deep tissue work,speed is the enemy.SLOW DOWN and wait for the body to allow you into the required layer.Too fast = more pain and not as effective.

molgrips,post event massage is more about flushing,relaxing overworked,tight,trashed muscles possibly a bit of stretching and maybe even some broad contact passive soft tissue release.

So,whilst you might not feel a massive difference per se,the benefits are there to be had.

Personally,when I do my own legs after a workout or race there is a far from subtle difference if I do just the one leg first and compare it to the un massaged leg.Marked reduction in that buzzy fatigue feeling,joints move more freely,muscles feel more supple and oxygenated.Walking feels easier too.Going up and down stairs doesn’t hurt as much.Less awareness of any old niggles.

Although I have had plenty of carp post event massages.Worst being from a physio who ignored me when I asked for just light effleurage.

Don’t get me started on physios!!

Physio isnt about massage though. I certainly know that our massage training in our physio course consisted of these are the 4 main techniques, but massage isnt proven to have anything more than a psychological effect and lasted a grand total of 30 minutes.

I had a couple of leg massages last year when I was training for a 100mile ride. The guy doing it recommended using ice after a ride and it does seem to work. Just leave a plastic beaker of water in the freezer and when you get a post-ride shower flip over the block of ice and use the beaker as a holder for the ice, apply the ice to your legs for around 5 minutes.

I always thought that my habit of taking hot baths post-ride helped. Any possible basis in truth for this?

Cheers Zulus.

I used to get deep tissue massage at the Edinburgh Physio Centre, to work on shoulders and neck. Wasn’t a regular thing, just when I felt it was needed. 1hr at a time, £40 I think… Ended up on a date with my massage therapist actually (after she’d left) 🙂

All other massage has been from physios for my legs when I’ve had big problems.

Just had a great massage, nearly 2 hours, the guy really knows his stuff. Picked up a lot of niggles without being told.

Well I just buried myself and made it to work in 57min. No-one to massage me 🙁

That was your last moment of freedom MG – YGM 😉

Hehe 🙂

It’s damn hard to find good one – I’ve tried 6 or 7 since moving to new location 3 years ago and still haven’t found anyone as good as this one at my previous hometown.

The sports massage is just one part of my well-being, streching and strengthening the support muscles is required or I’m soon a wreck of stiff muscles, achy back and cringing joints.

It’s interesting how different muscles react to massaging, my legs do not tolerate lot of force but my back and arms need take quite a work to release properly… the forearms are often painful too.

I used to get one every 2 weeks for free helping a friend to become qualified – She had to do 100hrs of practise on different people.

It was/is the dogs nadgers. She is very good taking the whole thing seriously – it was enlightening to see her progress and I always felt better for it.

I still do it every month or 2 if I’m feeling well, more if I’m injured.
Done properly it will hurt like buggery if you have any knotted muscles – it’s amazign how much you notice your muscles an any imbalances afterwards. Plus you get a great endorphin rush.

I pay £30 for an hour – worth every penny, I just wish I had the time/money to do it every week or 2.

The problem is Sports Massage is only regulated on a voluntary basis.
Anyone could call themselves a Sports Massage therapist and charge X per hour for ripping your body apart.
The goods ones will have trained with a recognised school and logged at least 100 hours practical experience as part of their training. They should then be completing proffesional development to keep their qualification current

Therapist Directory on the ISRM website [Institute of Sport and Remedial Massage – founded by Mel Cash] for anyone is in need of a decent SRM therapist.Just key in location/area.

http://www.theisrm.com/directory.php

I’m in Chichester/Haslemere/Petersfield region if anyone localish needs a spot of bodywork.

I’m going to the local college next monday for a neck & back massage which will hopefully work out some knots. Paying the grand sum of £3…

Podium, may be able to send you some clients in the near future

For some reason The Therapist Directory looks a lot less inviting when in red and capitals…

Still, I’m going to get involved and see if they someone can sort out my knee… self diagnosis is only getting me so far.

Podium – I’m in Havant so how much roughly for a bit of work on my shoulder to get some knots out or would you need to do a consultation first? Got a bit of a dodgy shoulder and also suffering from slight back ache every now anad again?

cheers iDave.

Taff – I’d be a bit more expensive than £3…but cheaper than most Osteos and physios.Contact details on the website if you find me in the Directory.Or email in profile here [that’s not my business addy btw!]

Always do a consultation followed by treatment but often get some background history via email/phone beforehand so can spend more of the first appointment hands on.

Just thought I’d revive this thread. I’m considering starting up a wee sideline doing sports massage from my house in Edinburgh. Would people be interested in this?

‘Sports’ massage = same product in fancy packaging, like ‘sports’ drinks and other snake oil lifestyle bunkum.

Gotta love marketing….

‘Ohh, pay X times more for basically the same product’

🙄

Cynical? Me?

No, he’s a bloke what lives in Scotland and messes about with spoons and glue and stuff.

Elf – sports massage is different.

SBZ – you have the skills and knowledge to do this?

Surrounded By Zulus – Member

Physio isnt about massage though. I certainly know that our massage training in our physio course consisted of these are the 4 main techniques, but massage isnt proven to have anything more than a psychological effect and lasted a grand total of 30 minutes.

TJ – Yes I do. I’m a qualified sports massage therapist with a diploma and everything.

Elf – sports massage is different.

Yeah, right, cos thousands and thousands of years of Humanity and suddenly in the Age of Marketing there’s this new ‘wonder product’…. 😆

Pfft.

But if people are happy to spend their money on it, and someone can make money from it, then fair enough.

Elf, go to a spa and have a relaxing massage, then go and get a sports massage. At the spa you probably won’t be going ‘AARGH! Aaargh that hurts!’

Richard Bandler in an interview I heard can guarantee to cure schizophrenia with one or two sessions of neuro-linguistic programming and he’s the founder of the institute which issues the diploma’s and registers people to practice.

Just because there is a registration system, courses and professional sounding qualifications doesn’t mean shit to me unless it has been systematically and scientifically proven to work.

I’m fairly sure sports massage has been proven to work.

Elf, go to a spa and have a relaxing massage, then go and get a sports massage.

No don’t want to.