To understand what a sports massage therapist does, you must first understand the benefits and purpose of sports or fitness massage therapy. If you’ve already experienced all the great things massage has to offer, and you’re interested in pursuing a career in sports massage, click here.
The Benefits of Sports and Fitness Massage
Athletes of all types can utilize massage therapy. Whether you’re a serious marathon runner or a mid-morning power walker, sports massage can help you!
Relief of Soreness
Everyone knows that with exercise comes some sort of muscle soreness. If you’re experiencing muscle soreness, sports massage can help relieve some of your discomfort by encouraging blood flow. Delayed or immediate soreness can both be treated.
Prevention of Soreness
Some athletes would rather use massage therapy for the prevention of soreness rather than for relief. Preventative massage works in the same way it does for relief. Massage encourages blood and lymph flow.
Increased Flexibility
Massage offers the unique ability to increase the range of motion and flexibility for muscles you can’t stretch in a usual way. The use of massage before activity can help you get loose before you exercise.
Rehabilitation After Injury
If you’ve suffered from a muscle injury that resulted in scar tissue, massage therapy can assist in breaking down the tissue to aid recovery. It can also help you relax and experience less pain. Swedish and Deep Tissue Massage are an example of the types of massage techniques used for rehabilitation and the treatment of injuries.
There are a variety of other benefits to using massage therapy as an athlete, we’ve just named a few of the most popular!
So What Does A Sports Massage Therapist Do?
Sports massage therapists utilize specific training to help athletes experience one or more of the benefits listed above. Here at Indiana Wellness College, we cover anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, sports massage, stretching, Kinesio taping, and massage for injury and rehabilitation in our program.
We teach these topics in our curriculum because we know that these specific practices and skills are used by sports massage therapists who are working in the industry. We strive to design a curriculum that allows our students to pursue gainful employment after graduation.
I Want To Be A Sports Massage Therapist!
To become a great massage therapist, you must first have an education. We want to help prepare you for success. Contact us to find out how to get started on your journey to becoming a talented massage therapist!
Need a massage? Book an appointment HERE!