The Major Benefits and Contraindications Of Athletic Massage

By Jesse Harshbarger, BCHt, NLP

Jesse Harshbarger Life Coaching

. https://alohahands.wordpress.com/

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The Major Benefits and Contraindications Of Athletic Massage

The goal of athletic massage is to enhance the athlete's performance. Athletic massage has many benefits for every aspect of an athlete's training regimen. Restrictions from pain, spasms, and tension inhibit freedom of movement. Without freedom of movement, precision is adversely affected. Athletic massage reduces many of the restrictions and also helps to

• Prevent muscle and tendon injuries.
• Reduces the strain and discomfort of training and chronic strain patterns, allowing a quicker return to maximum training levels.
• Enables the athlete to recover more quickly from myofascial injury with less chance of chronic problems returning.
• Provides psychological boosts to the athlete, consistent with his or her commitment to high performance.
• Enhances a preventive approach to athletic training whereby soft tissues are free of trigger points and adhesions, thus contributing toward the improvement of peak neuromuscular functioning.
• Pre-event massage stimulates circulation, calms nervous tension, and prepares the athlete for optimal performance while reducing the chances of injury.
• Post-event massage relieves soreness and assists in the removal of lactic acid and other waste products
• Training massage focuses on the prevention of developing chronic injuries and aids in the healing process of current chronic injuries.

Athletic massage is contraindicated at the site of fresh acute muscle injuries. Any heart condition, anemia, diabetes, thyroid disorders, liver and lung conditions, cancer, skin disease, varicose veins, hypertension, internal injuries, wounds, or like conditions are basic contraindications for any type of massage.

Massage is not recommended for anyone who is experiencing fever, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, jaundice, varicose veins, bleeding, acute phlebitis, orthrombosis. In the case of high blood pressure or heart problems, avoid massage to the abdomen. Anyone with fractures or bruises should not receive massage on areas of injury. Pregnant women should check with their doctors first.

Muscles often contain alarm points or stress points. Stress points are areas of chronic stress or the site of microtrauma that are generally located at the ends of muscles or in taut bands of muscle tissue. Points located in taut bands are trigger points. Stress points are often located at the musculo-tendinous junction.

Due to the low ratio blood vessels to tissue, fatigue often occurs first at these two points. When a muscle is headed for injury, the first indication is often apparent here. Athletic massage is contraindicated in any abnormal condition, injury, illness, or disease except as advised by the athlete's physician.