Sports massage has a number of definitions and the work can be modified in numerous ways. Most of my training and education for sports massage is used in pre and post event massage. The work can be used for someone who enjoys running, training for a marathon or triathlon or can be incorporated into a regular massage. Sports massage before an event warms up the muscle and the therapist will increase the speed of the massage or cadence to increase blood flow and prepare the athlete for the event. Post event massage is much slower and used to cool the body down, incorporating stretching and focusing on areas the individual may identify. Sports massage can help reduce possible injury and help also with recovery time after an event. Anyone who is training for an event should consider including massage work as an integral part of their overall training program.
I have received massage therapy from Gary McCarthy for a few years to promote wellness. However, recently I was training for an Ironman triathlon when I suffered a potentially race-ending injury following a bike/run brick session of 106 miles and 3 miles, respectively. It turned out that I had strained a hamstring ligament that, depending on the severity, can take weeks or even months to recover from. I promptly made an appointment with Gary to administer a deep tissue massage and by the next day the injury was non-existent! My triathlon coach instructed me to take a few days off and then continue my training. Thanks to Gary, I was able to complete the last four weeks of my training and I can now say that I am an Ironman.
Brad Hamilton