In recent months we have added Sports Massuer Cairn Wallace to the team at ESP. He has been doing a great job helping us deliver our Stirling Rugby Club service, and has now also recently started running a sports massage clinic from our Edinburgh clinic.
In this months blog we thought we would catch up with Cairn and ask him about sports massage and how it can benefit you!
Sports massage is a form of soft tissue work that tends to be a bit deeper than other types of soft tissue work. I use a variety of hands on techniques to break down tension in the muscle, and increase the blood flow which flushes out any toxins.
A lot of masseurs advertise it as a technique to resolve pain and often people go for a massage because they are in pain. The truth of the matter is that sports massage is not designed to treat injury. At ESP we try to educate our patients that if they are injured and in pain they need a musculoskeletal examination by one of the physiotherapists to diagnose the problem.
That said sports massage is an excellent complimentary therapy to physiotherapy because it has loads of physiological effects which can benefit performance.
The three major benefits that I see with my clients are;
Sports massage is not just designed for athletes!
It is designed to incorporate a healing ‘cascade’ which can benefit every person when it comes to movement, functionality and health.
The prevention of injuries and imbalances is a major component of sports massage which is why it is so beneficial for everyday living whether you’re working long hours with your arms over your head, or sitting at a computer.
Yes great question! We cannot perform sports massage if you have any of the following: skin infections; DVT; varicose veins; tumours; undiagnosed lumps; melanoma and/or other cancers.
Lastly I would reinforce that if you are suffering from an injury or experiencing pain then it is appropriate to book in for a physiotherapy assessment prior to any sports massage treatments.
If you want to start getting the benefits of sports massage then I work out of the Edinburgh clinic on Thursday evenings and these can be booked HERE
