The nature of a sports massage is to target and work on areas of the body that are causing pain. A sports therapist will manipulate the soft tissue to help it regain motion and flexibility. As a result, a sports massage will likely cause some pain and discomfort. Therapists are trained to help their client work through the pain with breathing techniques, and while it might hurt at the time, many people feel rejuvenated in the following couple of days.
Not at all.
While this was the original reason for developing this type of massage, it’s available for everyone. Sports massage can benefit anyone who suffers from chronic pain or has an injury caused by repetitive work (such as from their work). It can even help with migraines and in improving posture.
Sports massage usually targets a specific area of the body instead of an all-over massage, so it is perfect for anyone with a demanding physical lifestyle.
Physiotherapy can be used in treating both physical and neurological conditions and has many benefits, including:
The main difference between sports massage and physiotherapy is that a physiotherapist is tasked with taking an area of pain, diagnosing the problem, and formulating a treatment plan to help relieve the pain. This can be pain as the result of an injury, but it also treats other forms of psychological and physiological pain. A considerable part of this treatment plan is encouraging the patient's participation in making life changes that aid their recovery. A physiotherapist will also look at improving the patient's overall health as well as tackling the pain.
Sports massage, on the other hand, is intended to be a procedure given by a sports therapist as a form of sports rehabilitation that targets only the painful area of the body through massage. It can be used as a standalone treatment or a course of treatment. Sports massage may be part of a physiotherapy treatment plan, but it can also involve breathing and physical exercises.
Physiotherapy also tackles illness-related issues, such as those that come as the result of a stroke or Parkinson's disease. It can also help with heart disease, asthma, and cystic fibrosis.
