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What is Sports Massage?
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While the term Sports Massage is relatively new, athletes have used the benefits of massage for as
long as organized sports have been around. Most professional sports participants, whether going
solo or as part of a team, regularly receive massage therapy. While many of the techniques used
in sports massage are the same ones used for relaxation massage, the focus in Sports Massage is
to help you, the athlete, perform at your optimum. These techniques can include:
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¤ standard Western massage techniques (i.e., friction, effleurage, muscle
stripping, etc.)
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¤ myofascial manipulation techniques
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¤ trigger point therapy
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¤ body mobilization techniques
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¤ stretches (passive, assisted, etc.)
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¤ cryo-therapy (hot and cold)
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Additionally, sports massage may be broken down by two of its core elements: intent and phase. I'll explain these in greater detail
shortly, but here are two brief definitions:
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¤ Intents: What is the goal(s) for the session (for example,
rehabilitation or maintenance)?
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¤ Phase: Is the session before, during, or after an event?
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