Sports massage is a type of Swedish massage that stimulates circulation of blood and lymph fluids. Some sports massage movements use trigger point therapy to break down adhesions (knots in the muscles) and increase range of motion. 


There are four types of sports massages:

• Pre-event sports massage — a short, stimulating massage 15 - 45 minutes before the event. It is directed toward the parts of the body that will be involved in the exertion.
• Post-event sports massage — given within an hour or two of the event, to normalize the body's tissues.
• Restorative sports massage — given during training to allow the athlete to train harder and with less injury.
• Rehabilitative sports massage — aimed at alleviating pain due to injury and returning the body to health.

When Should I Get A Sports Massage?

A sports massage is a good choice if you have a specific problem — a tender knee from running, for instance. It is also be a good idea to see a movement therapist, who can help you identify and correct the movement pattern that might be causing your injury in the first place.

The therapist generally focuses in on the problem area — a frozen shoulder or pulled hamstring, for instance — rather than giving you a full-body massage.


Sometimes men who are new to the spa are more comfortable getting a sports massage because it sounds more masculine. That's fine, even if they don't have an injury. 
No matter what type of massage you choose, the therapist should check in with you about what your needs and expectations are for the massage.

Swedish massage therapy is the modality that comes to mind when most people think about massage. As the best-known type of bodywork performed today, one of the primary goals of the Swedish massage technique is to relax the entire body. This is accomplished by rubbing the muscles with long gliding strokes in the direction of blood returning to the heart.

But Swedish massage therapy goes beyond relaxation. Swedish massage is exceptionally beneficial for increasing the level of oxygen in the blood, decreasing muscle toxins, improving circulation and flexibility while easing tension.

A study conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and published in The New York Times, found that volunteers who received a 45-minute Swedish massage experienced significant decreases in levels of the stress hormone cortisol, as well as arginine vasopressin-a hormone that can lead to increases in cortisol. Volunteers also had increases in the number of lymphocytes, white blood cells that are part of the immune system, and a boost in the immune cells that may help fight colds and the flu.

Trigger Point Therapy was pioneered and developed in this country by Dr. Janet Travell, President John F. Kennedy's personal physician during his years of persistent back pain. Today it is commonly referred to as Neuromuscular Therapy.

A trigger point is a hyperirritable tender spot in an abused muscle that refers pain ("triggers" pain) to other muscles. This is why the pain in your head may be coming from a neck muscle and the pain in your neck from a shoulder muscle and the pain in your low back from a hip muscle.

If the trigger points are not treated, they can be the culprits in lingering pain even after an injury has healed, and the reason why the headache, neckache, and backache keep returning year after year. Some of the causes of trigger point activity in your muscles are stress, excessive chilling, injury, overuse, strain, as well as chemical, drugs, alcohol, and environmental pollutants.

Active trigger points keep the muscles tight, restricting blood flow and compressing nerves perpetuating a vicious pain-spasm cycle in the muscles. The effect of decreased flexibility limits movement encouraging postural patterns which may sustain the cycle for years. Trigger Point Release Therapy is a valuable component of preventive as well as rehabilitative care.

The various neuromuscular techniques to release trigger points and restore movement are being studied today by many health care professionals.

Thai Yoga Massage is a type of massage in Thai style that involves stretching and deep massage. This form of bodywork is usually performed on the floor, and the client wears comfortable clothes that allow for movement. No oils are used in Thai massage. It is known in Thailand as "nuat phaen boran" (Thai: นวดแผนโบราณ, IPA: [nûət pʰɛ̌ːn boːraːn]), literally, the ancient-manner massage. Most Thai people simply refer to Thai massage as นวดแผนไทย "nuad phaen thai".