There are two main differences between sports massage and deep tissue massage such as:

1. Massage Therapist qualification.
2. Massage techniques.

Firstly, a massage therapist who can provide a sports massage has more knowledge and professional qualifications than a massage therapist with the first level of soft tissue manipulation. To become a Sports Massage Therapist, one needs to get a specific course of study divided into three different levels of qualifications. The course of study can last between 1 to 3 years.

Secondly, sports massage utilizes more advanced massage techniques than deep tissue massage. Despite both types of massage therapy acting on the deeper layers of muscles and fascias, sports massage is a more thorough treatment of every single muscle of the area affected by muscle stiffness or muscle injury.

The best practice to reduce building new muscle tension is to put in place a prevention plan rather than cure the muscle stiffness when it produces muscle pain.

We advise our patients to follow this muscle injury prevention plan:

1. Do regular stretching exercises.
2. Balance the workout session with adequate periods of rest.
3. Balance strengthening exercises with flexibility exercises.
4. Get a sports therapy such as a Sports Massage before getting muscle pain.

Yes, Sports Massage is one of the best sports therapy treatments to prevent any sports injury such as muscle strains, muscle tears, tendon tears, and general muscle stiffness.

Sports Massage, by treating muscle stiffness and tissue adhesions can improve the biomechanics of our musculoskeletal system such as muscle flexibility and joint mobility.

Increasing muscle flexibility and joint mobility is a key factor in reducing the chances of muscle injury as they can support better any type of mechanical stress and forces acting on them.

This is a common question the athletes ask their sports massage therapist to set up a prevention plan to reduce the chances of getting sports injuries such as muscle tear, muscle strain, or simple excessive muscle stiffness.

The average to get a sports massage depends on the amount of workout and the lifestyle/job of the people: the frequency can be from once a week for professional and semi-professional athletes to 4-6 weeks for nonprofessional athletes and sedentary people.

Sports Massage, by treating muscle stiffness and tissue adhesions can improve the biomechanics of our musculoskeletal system such as muscle flexibility and joint mobility.

Increasing muscle flexibility and joint mobility is a key factor in reducing the chances of muscle injury as they can better support any mechanical stress and forces acting on them.

In our Sports Clinic in London, our sports massage therapists agreed to a specific sports massage plan created specifically for the preparation of a Marathon competition. Our sports massage plan consists of four sports massages that are planned before and after the Marathon as explained below:

1. First Sports Massage: After the first month of Marathon training.
2. Second Sports Massage: After the second month of Marathon training.
3. Third Sports Massage: six days before the Marathon.
4. fourth Sports Massage: 7-14 days after the Marathon.

The average to get a sports massage depends on the amount of workout and the lifestyle/job of the people: the frequency can be from once a week for professional and semi-professional athletes to 4-6 weeks for nonprofessional athletes and sedentary people.

Sports Massage, by treating muscle stiffness and tissue adhesions can improve the biomechanics of our musculoskeletal system such as muscle flexibility and joint mobility.

Increasing muscle flexibility and joint mobility is a key factor in reducing the chances of muscle injury as they can support better any type of mechanical stress and forces acting on them.

The Ironman Triathlon is the longest of the Triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation.

It consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and a Marathon 26.22-mile run, it is a very challenging competition that needs a lot of attention during its preparation. 

In our Sports Clinic in London, we have designed a specific sports massage plan consisting of five sports massages that are planned before and after the Ironman Triathlon as explained below:

1. First Sports Massage: After the first month of Ironman training.
2. Second Sports Massage: After the second month of Ironman training.
3. Third Sports Massage: 14 days before the Ironman race.
4. Fourth Sports Massage: 7 days before the Ironman Triathlon.
5. Fifth Sports Massage: 14 days after the Ironman Triathlon.

1. First Sports Massage: After the first month of Marathon training.
2. Second Sports Massage: After the second month of Marathon training.
3. Third Sports Massage: six days before the Marathon.
4. fourth Sports Massage: 7-14 days after the Marathon.

The average to get a sports massage depends on the amount of workout and the lifestyle/job of the people: the frequency can be from once a week for professional and semi-professional athletes to 4-6 weeks for nonprofessional athletes and sedentary people.

Sports Massage, by treating muscle stiffness and tissue adhesions can improve the biomechanics of our musculoskeletal system such as muscle flexibility and joint mobility.

Increasing muscle flexibility and joint mobility is a key factor in reducing the chances of muscle injury as it can support better any mechanical stress and forces acting on them.

A Trigger Point (TP), also known as a myofascial trigger point, is a localised, sensitive area within a muscle or fascia (the connective tissue surrounding muscles) that can be painful when pressed or otherwise stimulated.

From the histopathological point of view, TP is characterised by the presence of muscle knots, which corresponds to a muscle fibre segment subjected to a strong contraction of its sarcomeres.

Shrinkage knots are microscopic formations that correspond to sites of spontaneous electrical activity in the neuromuscular junction, which is a specialized synapse of the motor neuron that innervates the muscle fibre.

The area or region of muscle fibres that contain knots of contraction constitutes the palpable painful muscle nodule.

Only some fibres of the affected muscle present this microscopic alteration. At the level of contraction nodes, sarcomeres present a strong contraction (shorter and wider) differing markedly from the sarcomeres of the normal muscle fibres of the same muscle.

The existence of muscle knots in an area affects the function of the entire muscle.

Trigger Points do not cause pain during normal activities. They are only painful with palpation.

They are activated by cold, heat, pressure changes
atmospheric, and repetitive damage.

The reason why a TP is formed in a certain moment and a certain muscle is still unknown despite the many hypotheses issued.

However, multiple pathogenic factors have been found to trigger, predispose, or favor TPs which are fundamentally:

1. Muscular stress: caused by excessive physical exercise of the muscles involved.
2. Repetitive microtrauma.
3. Acute musculoskeletal trauma: it can affect muscles, tendons, ligaments, or bursae (e.g. “whiplash cervical”).
4. Accumulation of metabolic waste products in muscle tissues.
5. Sudden cooling of the body or partial body areas: (Staying in front of a fan or air conditioning).
6. Exhaustion or generalized fatigue: For example in the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
7. Joint inflammations.
8. Nerve injury.
9. Poor Posture: Maintaining poor posture over time can create imbalances in muscle tension, leading to the development of TPs.
10. Stress and Tension: Stress and emotional factors can contribute to muscle tension, leading to the formation of TPs.

Clinically, the patient manifests dull and heavy pain, the muscle feels tense, hypertonic, and contracted. 

The muscle is exhausted quickly and significantly decreases sports performance.

Treatment for trigger points may include physical therapy, sports massage therapy, myofascial release techniques, stretching exercises, and sometimes the use of heat therapy.

Yes, sports massage is suitable for elderly people too!

Very often, sports massage is labeled as a sports treatment only for athletes, and described as a traumatizing massage treatment with pain for one or two days afterward.

Sports massage should be performed in a way to not traumatize the muscle to the point of inducing pain for 1 or 2 days after the treatment. If the sports massage is performed properly, the patient will get an immediate sensation of improved mobility and muscle flexibility.

Of course, when a sports massage is performed for an elderly person, the pressure and the techniques of the massage should be tailored to the patient’s musculoskeletal condition.

Getting a sports massage before a sports competition is good for reducing muscle stiffness, and muscle soreness, improving muscle flexibility, and joint mobility, and ultimately improving sports performance!

Depending on the athletes’ condition, we suggest getting a sports massage 7-10 days or 4-5 days before the sports competition.

Yes, getting a sports massage before the competition is absolutely fine and very useful!

Getting a sports massage before a sports competition is good for reducing muscle stiffness, and muscle soreness, improving muscle flexibility, and joint mobility, and ultimately improving sports performance!

Depending on the athletes’ condition, we suggest getting a sports massage 7-10 days or 4-5 days before the sports competition.

Sports massage is a very efficient sports therapy that is valid both for prevention and injury rehabilitation, but, in some cases, such as scar tissue, adhesions, and calcification we advise our patients to get another kind of treatment.

In our Sports Clinic in London, we have designed a treatment that combines Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) and Sports Massage Technique. We have called it Instrument Assisted Sports Massage.