With over 20 years in and around the Fitness and Therapy Industry I've seen a lot of trends come and go.
Just recently I've had a couple of articles sent to me by therapists trying to belittle Sports Massage / Sports Therapy.
Here is the deal in my opinion.... there is a trend right now of people (not just in my industry) being controversial just for likes and engagement on social media.
Over the years I've worked alongside Physios, Chiropractors , Osteopaths and ALL of them do a great job.
I STILL regularly refer people that visit me to some of the above if there treatment methods are a better fit for the injury Im presented with.
I do get why Sports Massage might be under attack, the title isn't protected. Some would argue the quality of SOME of the courses isn't what it used to be and I've even heard about some courses being purely online! That's as crazy as a telephone physio appointment!
There must be a reason though that :-
- all professional Sports Teams will have a sports masseuse.
- I've worked myself in pro sport
- I regularly treat runners that are doing in the region of 1hr 10 min half marathons
- we have multiple 5 star reviews
- I've actually done this for a living that pays my bills for over 20 years
Those that have used our services know that Im very real world and things don't always need a clinical trial to be deemed as "working" .
However Sports massage is proven to release and reduce tension in muscles, improve circulation and encourage the removal of waste products such as lactic acid. It can also help to relax the body after training or competing.
Add to this soft tissue release , joint decompressions and it gives us a good toolbox to assess, treat and rehabilitate a lot of muscle and joint injuries.
Some people say "It doesn't work but it just feels nice" surely thats a good thing?
Are Sports Therapist the best fit for EVERY injury ? Of course not but what you will get from me is an honest appraisal and we NEVER over sell sessions.