Massage Therapy for Relaxation
Massage is one of the oldest healing arts. Massage therapy is beneficial for many chronic conditions, including low back pain, arthritis, bursitis, fatigue, high blood pressure, diabetes, immunity suppression, infertility, smoking cessation, depression, and more. Massage also helps relieve the stress and tension of everyday living that can lead to disease and illness.
What is Relaxation Massage?
Massage is defined as an application of soft-tissue manipulation techniques to the body, generally intended to reduce stress and fatigue while improving circulation. The many variations of massage account for several different techniques. Techniques may include stroking, kneading, tapping, compression, vibration, rocking, friction, and pressure to the muscular structure or soft tissues of the human body, or may also include non-forceful passive or active movement and application of techniques intended to affect the energetic systems of the body. Oils, lotions, and powders are sometimes used to reduce friction on the skin.
Why Relaxation Massage Therapy is Important for Female Athletes?
Athletes who want to improve performance and increase their competitive edge do so by adopting a training schedule to enhance their skill, strength, stamina, suppleness and speed. This always requires an increase in the level of training, thereby subjecting the body to gradual and controlled overuse. It is this overuse that often creates problems and imbalances in the soft tissues. If these are ignored and allowed to become chronic, they will not only hinder the athlete’s rate of improvement, but also in many cases their performance may well suffer and ultimately the athlete may be susceptible to developing more conditions that are serious.
Benefits of Massage Therapy for Sports Women
Massage, applied skillfully, is the most effective therapy for releasing muscle tension and restoring balance to the musculo-skeletal system. Regular massage helps athletes prevent injuries, which might otherwise be caused by overuse. A constant build-up of tension in the muscles from regular activity may lead to stresses on joints, ligaments, tendons, as well as the muscles themselves. The skilled massage therapist will be able to detect variations in the soft tissues and by using the correct techniques, help the sports person maintain a much healthier physical state.
Contraindications of Massage Therapy
Sometimes massage could be detrimental to the athlete. These are conditions are:
- A body temperature over 100°F
- Acute traumas, open wounds, recent bruising, muscle tears, sprained ligaments, contusions, chilblains, and burns
- Tumors, cancer, or melanom
- Diseased blood vessels
- Hemophilia
- Bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, herpes
- Reactions to massage treatment
- Diabetes
Common Massage Techniques
The three main categories of massage that are predominantly used in sport are effleurage, petrissage, and frictions. Almost all massage techniques are carried out with the main pressure being directed towards the heart. This helps increase venous and lymphatic flow. It also ensures that no pressure of blood is being pushed against closed valves causing damage to blood vessels. The only exception to this is where short strokes are aimed at stretching muscle fibers. Because the strokes are limited, there is no risk of pressure being built up.
Source: BrianMac