If you are a Westchester resident in search of quality in home sports massage this article is for you.  When it comes to helping you get the most out of your body all massage therapists are not created equal.

Common Mis-understandings of Sports Massage

The Westchester massage community throws the term sports massage around very loosely.  I will speak to this first hand as a New York State Licensed Massage Therapist with 23 years of experience and lifelong athlete.

Let me give you a quick example.  Recently I was working at a spa.  A client came in for a “sports massage”.  From experience I know this term has little meaning to non-athletes.  So, I asked what are you looking for in your session and why did you choose a “sports massage”.  This was a legitimate question, because I always want to give my client’s the best session possible.  Her response … the girl at the front desk told me it was a good massage for active people.

Now, that is not totally un-true but it is not really a sports massage.

Not convinced?  Ok, I will randomly pull up the definition of sports massage from the top Westchester Spas.  Let’s see what they say sports massage is.  Sound like fun?

What Spa’s Are Saying

I cut and pasted directly from the sites. The spas are not disclosed because I don’t want to hurt any feelings.

Spa 1 – Relieves muscle soreness and tightening resulting from over-exertion or intense exercise. The therapist incorporates stretching and compression to lengthen muscles and decrease lactic acid build-up.  (Nothing here is false but it is a very limited view of Sports massage).

Spa 2 – For athletes and non-athletes alike! This massage integrates stretching techniques for lengthening tight muscles, increasing flexibility and range of motion.  (Sorry, but once again this is a severely limited view of Sports massage, but typical)

Spa 3 – Helpful in relaxing tension and range of motion. Special manipulative techniques reduce the chances of muscle and tendon injuries. Excellent for pre/post training.  My note – Helpful in relaxing tension and range of motion – What does that even mean … how do you relax range of motion.  Did they mean increase range of motion?  Listen, I don’t want to beat a dead horse but if you are still reading at this point … I am sure you are getting the picture.

Don’t get me wrong.  These are all good day spas.  And the therapists who work at them are great.  I know many of them, but the truth is many of them do not specialize in Sports massage.  And clearly the spas offering the services do not know what sports massage is.  Can you imagine how little the people at the front desk know about real sports massage?

The purpose of this post is to clarify what sports massage really is… and to offer it to Westchester residents who really want and need quality in home Sports massage.  Provided by a therapist with 23 years of massage experience and 40+ solid years of athletic experience.

What is Sports Massage?

So …  What is Sports Massage?  It is the application of a wide range of massage therapy techniques for the specific purpose of aiding in athletic performance.  This includes all levels of performers and can focus on any point in the training process.

For example, Sports Massage can be applied:

• Pre – event – A lighter, rigorous massage to invigorate the musculature, stimulate blood flow, and flush the system-getting the body ready for action.  Stretching can also be included to get the muscles prepared for explosive action.
• Post – event – focus is on the muscles used – flushing out lactic acid and waste bringing oxygen and nutrition through increased circulation with the effect of speeding recovery time.  Also alleviating soreness, tightness, stiffness, adhesions, and generally getting you ready to do it all again.
• Maintenance – Here the focus is on the specific needs of the athlete and their body.  Areas of weakness or potential weakness are identified and addressed.  This can mean cleaning out congested soft tissue with the result of increased flexibility, range of motion, etc.  At this stage massage is also accompanied by stretching and range of motion for maximum benefit.
• Rehabilitation – This type of massage focuses on aiding the recovery from an injury which has already occurred and getting the athlete ready to get back to work.

My point here is simple but sports massage is not.  Every session is not the same, And it is not all about stretching.  A really good Sports massage has to take many factors into account, and cannot be a cookie cutter, one size fits all session.  It has to take into account where you are in the training process and what issues you are currently dealing with.  What muscles are tight?  Where are you out of balance?

So, if you are tired of generic one size fits all massage and seriously interested in customized dynamic Sports or Deep Tissue massage give me a call at 914-266-2277.  Or shoot me an e-mail at doug@weekendwarriormassage.com.

Stay Healthy,

Doug