May 3, 2018

Sport Massage vs Deep Tissue Massage

Whether you’re an ultra-marathoner, a fair-weather gym-goer, or generally suffer with muscle discomfort, it’s likely someone, somewhere, has told you to book a sports or deep tissue massage.

After you’ve nodded and said the standard “yes, yes, I should!” you might of wondered what the difference between a sports massage and a deep tissue massage is…

It’s really common to lump the two together, as they share similar techniques. However, there are some important distinctions between them. Read on to discover what they are, so that when you come to book, you’re fully informed.

Deep Tissue Massage

A deep tissue massage is pretty much what it says on the tin. Your therapist will use firm pressure to manipulate the deeper tissues in the body, including the muscles. This will help in reduction of metabolic waste, help reduce muscle discomfort and help reduce some of the less stubborn knots and adhesions.

Just like a workout, this treatment has the same effect on the body, promoting increased blood flow and breaking down of muscle mass that has adhered. It is therefore not unusual to be a bit sore and achy after this treatment,it is advised that no intense exercise is carried out 24 hours after

Sports Massage

Sports massage on the other hand, will help to break down the larger and older knots and also help with recovery from injuries. This is because your therapist will use passive stretching techniques alongside other techniques that will manipulate and stretch the tissues to increase range of movement and prevent injuries. Sports massage is designed to assist in correcting problems and imbalances in soft tissue that are caused from repetitive and or strenuous physical activity and trauma. The application of sports massage, prior to and after exercise, may enhance performance, aid recovery and prevent injury, promoting increased blood flow and breaking down of muscle mass that has adhered

A therapist that is qualified to perform a sports massage treatment will have a more extensive knowledge of the anatomy than those qualified only for deep tissue treatments. You can therefore expect the treatment to begin with a postural assessment and a run through of any injuries you may have.

During a Sport massage you might encounter the use a combination of techniques including trigger point release, joint mobilisation, soft tissue release /mobilisations, myofascial release and PNF/MET/passive stretching. If the therapist has additional qualification they might include other modalities such as dry-needling or cuppping This is not a relaxing massage and you should be aware that you might feel some discomfort due to the nature of the treatment. However, the therapist should always ensure that you feel comfortable at all times, It is therefore not unusual to be a bit sore and achy after this treatment,it is advised that no intense exercise is carried out 24 hours after.

Can't decide

Deep Tissue massage is the best option for newer complaints like minor aches and pains, whereas Sports massage is more appropriate for the treatment of injuries or of knots that have built up over time in the muscles. I hope that this has made choosing which treatment to have a little easier for you.