Sports and Remedial Massage

Here at Highfield Chiropractic Clinic, as well as teaching Pilates and spinal rehabilitation, Louise Oliver is a qualified Sports and Remedial massage therapist.

Sports massage is a set of specialised soft tissue techniques for the treatment of muscle, tendon, fascia and ligament problems. Everyone, not just athletes, can benefit from sports and remedial massage if they have aches and pains caused by overuse, poor posture, sitting for long periods or injuries, whether from sport or daily life.

Benefits of Massage

Sports massage helps to break down fibrous tissue, scar tissue and adhesions in overworked tissue that causes stiffness and pain. This improved function helps the elasticity of the muscles, ligaments and tendons around the joints, thereby improving joint mobility, increasing overall flexibility and returning you to a normal range of motion and reduced pain levels quicker.

During massage body fluid such as blood and lymph is actively pumped through the vessels. This improved circulation encourages the supply of nutrients needed for recovery and the building of new muscle tissue, whilst removing toxins produced during times of intense training, competition or postural fatigue from long periods of sitting.

Sports massage can help to reduce stress, anxiety and tension and lead to an increased sense of wellbeing. Mechanoreceptors in the body that sense touch, pressure, tissue length and temperature are stimulated, causing a reflex relaxation. Sports massage has also been shown to release hormones responsible for relaxation and euphoria.

These benefits are by no means exhaustive, but they do highlight the significant value of sports and remedial massage for a number of factors common in all of us.

For more information about Louise Oliver, click here.