Nicky brings her drive and force to the fore in Functional wellness coach programmes. Specializing in recovery support for specific conditions of ME (CFS), Fibromyalgia & long covid. Her supporting work covers bereaved clients trying to find freedom to move on.
Feel like your muscles are auditioning for a role in an action movie? Whether you're an Olympic wannabe or a couch potato, your body might be screaming out for some TLC. In this blog, we're going to dive into the tell-tale signs you need a sports massage. Alert your brain the body's been sending you distress signals, and its high time you listened. So, sit back (or lie down if your backs already seized up), because we need your body… to stop complaining!
Signs you need a sports massage
Signs you need a sports massage for all those non-athletes amongst you or the professional. We need your body. Waking up to the signs you may well need some tender loving care can be a pretty slow process. We all admit we are no professionals, just tough amateurs and have no need for all that expensive pounding after our five a side footie game. It's just a hobby. We are non-athletes. A quick shower and pint and we are back to normal. Sadly, when we are unfit the signs you need a sports massage will be glaringly obvious. Well by the next day for sure. Don't ignore those subtle symptoms.
Signs you need that sports massage
Stiffness as you wake the next morning. This may come on straight away after any strenuous exercise or creep insidiously on, section by section of the body. It may start with a little tightness getting out of bed, a slight arm restriction as you reach for the door handle for the bathroom. The fun begins as you attempt a squat to use the toilet. Pressure on the back of the hamstrings and shifting weight from thigh to thigh can be feel pretty uncomfortable. The final fun is standing again. Powering up those large, strong hamstrings to heave you up, we notice they start to feel like taut ropes in a tug of war battle.
Things take longer to perform. Dressing is a doddle normally. Five minutes to get out the door, not a problem. When the body starts to stiffen even putting your socks on can be a challenge. Manoeuvring that foot up on your leg to slide the sock on, is one big effort. The Sacro iliac joints lock a little, as the ligaments and tendons just don't play ball in allowing the gluts (buttock muscles) to stretch and give way.
As we move more and go about our day, things seem better. But within 24 hrs of exercise if we have sat at a desk or driven long distance, then the body starts to cry just a little more. Getting out of that low slung car is one effort you don’t need at the end of the day. Greeting the toilet once again is more a slam down than a delicate lowering. By this time the body has now known in the trade as 'seized up.'
Why do I need a sports massage? I'll explain a little more or at least follow some simple protocol to stay looser. Just like the pros. So, you can see those signs you need a sports massage.
Cautions and contraindications to sports massage
As with most things in life there are a few incidences when sports massage maybe contraindicated. Most times a gentler soft therapeutic massage can be administered. Deep tissue massage benefits are majorly important for non-athletes as well as professional sports people. It’s just not understood by the lay person why? Any airy fairy, light massage is not really going to improve blood flow. Lymphatic massage is very light and specific this is different. Working on the lymph which is slow and deeper within the body. Our muscles though are covered in tough, fibrous connective tissue and a little pressure in all directions is required. Sports massage has various techniques to work them.
Our muscles contract generally in one direction thus shorten and then stretch back again, allowing a little pumping of waste products out of the cells into the lymph and venous system. But as with all muscles some areas need cross friction to occur. Not only to pump but to stretch the fibres longer. Similar to rubber bands, elasticity is key to contract and bounce back to original length.
When we exercise a certain amount of micro damage occurs to some of the fibres, they are repaired and rebuilt each time. We bulk up and the muscles increase in size and strength subtlety. We don't become the terminator overnight but slowly. Over time our muscles become stronger. Unlike an injury or a tear occurring whereby the problem is more localised, blood escapes with bruising seen closer to skin surface. We still feel that soreness akin to a cut on a finger throughout our body.
Our muscles will not like stretching or contracting much initially. Which is what the sensation feels like when we experience muscle soreness and stiffness, after our brief encounter on the playing field. Mimicking what happens after an injury but more widespread. Let’s explore the times we should be a little cautious and adapt our approach. Looking at the signs you need a sport massage but with cautions applied.
Contraindications – The no to heavy pressure
Cautions and contraindications to sports massage are to be respected and taken seriously. Something that is pleasurable, well if you have a nice therapist of course can make things worse such as inflame a recent injury, push a blood clot around, spread a contagious skin condition that seems mild. Athletes’ foot is not best spread elsewhere. Normally the treatment will be adapted rather than avoided, but these key ones are important to avoid.
Wounds open or closed, recently injured
If you have had a recent injury, pulled a muscle even mildly then allow a few days for healing to start. We do need good blood flow to aid this process but initially the tissues will be joining together and meshing. Some mild pumping or stroking further away and out from the injury is ok to drain fluid but not anywhere on or close to the injury site. Common sense really. Therefore, if you have been stretchered off the pitch then a sports massage is not on the immediate list to book.
Thrombosis
Any swelling of the lower limbs, hardness in the calf or diagnosis of blood clots you must avoid heavy pressure. Pumping and deep remedial work could cause the clot to move. Normally blood thinners are provided. But always proceed with caution when this is in the background and make your therapist know of this in your consultation. After a long-haul flight, the limbs have been restricted, movement and massage are perfect but the warning signs must be observed of a possible thrombosis. Pain in the calf which generally feels like cramp or soreness, is one such sign. As you can see this can be identical to tight muscles from lack of movement. Do some gentle stretch work and movement to see if eases off. Discoloured skin and redness another sign.
Illness, fever, burns
If your body is stiff and sore it may well not be the sport but an illness coming out. Any fever or migraine then massage is not suitable. Sports massage can activate and bring on an illness quicker after a massage session. As we push the pathogen around the body. Symptoms develop more rapidly. Be aware deep tissue massage can also make your muscles feel a little stiffer the day after just like exercise. But this normally is good and once eases with a warm shower or bath the whole stiffness and discomfort from an injury or the exercise regime will disperse completely. If the skin has sunburn or a contagious skin condition, the area must be avoided. Rubbing hard over sore skin is not a fun session.
Sports massage benefits and effects
Injury prevention
If you want to get back playing quickly then massage will prevent straining a muscle, tendon or ligament. This can put you out for a few days to a few weeks in some cases. Deep tissue massage benefits in lots ways. 5 benefits of sports massage are flexibility, recovery from late onset soreness we spoke at the start of this article, joint mobility, reduce stress levels (we all need that), increase endorphins our happy chemicals. So rather than suffering we need to be planning our bodywork at regular intervals with our serious training or fun recreational sport.
Speed and power increase
Even passive cycling we need some power of our muscles to get up those steep hills. We may not be doing the Tour de France but if we enjoy cycling, we need to make it a pleasure than a strain. Unless we in the Netherlands we will encounter a hill somewhen. Toned, lightly tuned muscles kept healthy will power through our travel plans.
Learn some home tips
Trigger point sports massage is one technique used by the professional therapists. Any very sore areas found, as long as not damaged tissue such as a strain or tear, can be targeted with a steady precise pressure for 10 to 20 seconds. We wait to see if fades away or reduces in intensity. This allows the brain to register something is amiss and then send signals back to relax. If no regular bodywork is received, we accumulate malfunctioning of an area without knowing. When our massage therapist starts to prod, we find those areas fast and not even aware of the problem arising. A regular sports massage can indeed help check if an injury may occur more readily.
Mot for our soft tissues
As above changes can occur through repetitive movements even at work. Slowly muscles become fibrous, not so adaptable and others take over or support a movement. We need to keep track of this and return it to normal reactive tissue. Triggers are the answer. These are so simple to perform. If a sharp nerve pain is experienced that travels outward or no reduction in sensation is felt, then this is not a trigger and you’re just pressing on a nerve. Move off and on to another area pronto.
So, what's your gain?
Better speed
Getting out of bed for the day will be no hassle at all. Even a tough day at the office the body can stiffen up. Book a regular massage in regardless if you couch surf or water surf. Same restrictions and slow matting together of the muscle fibres will occur. If you are sporty some elasticity and rebound of tendons and ligaments are key for quick responses and no injuries.
Flexibility
Be like a ballerina. Glide though that job. To feel less tired and have stamina we need good biomechanics so we use less energy to move. Good balance makes how we move easy. Do you want to stumble through life. As we age this is so important with good practise and a ritual of once a month, we check in what's going on in our bodies. Just like going to the dentist. Remedial massage or sports massage if sounds more appealing will do just that.
Mental health
A big subject but massage releases those happy endorphins, calms the sympathetic nervous system down, effective for seasonal affective disorder, uplifting mood bringing us back in touch with our bodies. The sense of calmness after a session or vitality in some cases allows us to see things differently. Mind and body are interlinked, our posture changes as we get more despondent. Stand tall, ease tightness and see how our personality changes. How others perceive us changes too.
Headaches
Tension from upper body areas can cause lack of concentration, pain and vision issues. Unlocking the upper girdle area will aid the senses no end. The whole body will give you signs you need a sports massage. Double vision not from a knock on the sports field but looking at a computer all day is one very good reason.
" Watch those signs you need a sports massage. If local to my work radius, message me. We need your body now."
Nicky Abell-Francis, Functional Wellness Coach & Bodyworker
Nicky brings her drive and force to the fore in Functional wellness coach programmes. Specializing in recovery support for specific conditions of ME (CFS), Fibromyalgia & long covid. Her supporting work covers bereaved clients trying to find freedom to move on. Helping to ignite the spark to progress forward once again. Having lost her own husband suddenly, their daughter within months crashed into developing ME(CFS). Nicky went on to train with the Chrysalis Effect programme. Seeing how burnt out & highly stressed clients can tip into crash phase. Developing chronic fatigue and numerous widespread health problems. Over the past ten years Nicky set up her multi therapy clinic.
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