Welcome to Natural Healing Clinic, a trusted place for Sports Massage in Belfast, Northern Ireland, carried out by Archie Coogan, who has over 22 years of experience in massage therapy.

What is Sports Massage?

Sports massage is a massage technique that applies diverse degrees of pressure to ease tight muscles and aches. This targeted technique emphasizes soft tissues, tendons, muscle groups, ligaments, and particular joints to prevent and heal aches, pains, and injuries.

However, it is not a conventional relaxing therapy that spas offer. Only trained therapists who have been trained in anatomy and musculoskeletal structures can perform this massage therapy.

Sports Massage Techniques

Sports Massage therapists use various techniques according to the nature of the client’s problem. Similarly, Archie Coogan also uses various Sports Massage Techniques at his Natural Healing Clinic in Belfast. However, a few of the core techniques are here:

Effleurage

Effleurage is a Sports Massage technique where a therapist performs frequent pressure stroking activities using his/her fingers or palm. The pressure of this Sports Massage technique depends on the client’s condition and intention of massage. Moreover, this therapy is usually offered at the beginning or end of the massage session.

This therapy is typically used for post-event injuries, recovery from surgeries, and overcoming stress. It not only permits the therapist to explore the status of tissues and muscles but also warms the tissue and enhances blood flow and lymph.

Deep Tissue Massage

In this massage technique, the therapist hits the deep layers of muscle and tissues by applying keen and slow strokes with maintained pressure. Deep Tissue Massage therapy is used to deal with musculoskeletal issues, including leg muscle tightness, stiff neck, lower or upper back pain, sore shoulders and chronic aches.

Withal, it depends on your problem either it would be a full body massage or a targeted body area massage.

Petrissage

Petrissage is another Sports Massage technique that is related to intense pressure. This therapy consists of skin rolling, kneading, squeezing muscles, stretching and wringing practices. In this treatment, intense pressure is applied to the targeted body area using thumbs, fingers, or palm.

This Sports Massage therapy improves muscle movement, boosts blood circulation, and loosens or stretches muscle fibres. It is also considered the best to overcome tension, muscle soreness and tissue elasticity.

Myofascial Release (MFR)

The application of gentle strokes on muscle fibre refers to Myofascial Release (MFR). In this treatment, your muscle is stretched for a small period of time repeatedly until the complete relaxation of the muscle. Mainly, this sports therapy is useful to deal with Myofascial pain syndrome. In this regard, Myofascial Release emphasizes elevating the tightness and tension of ‘trigger points’ to heal the pain.

Improvement in blood flow, skeletal muscle mobility, oxygen and lymphatic circulation are also some exciting benefits of Myofascial Release therapy.

Deep Friction Massage

This Sports Massage treatment is being used as a substitute for ‘trigger point pressure’. In Deep Friction Massage, the therapist focuses and applies intense strokes on the muscle instead of only applying pressure on problematic areas. This massage technique is helpful to cope with Traumatic Hyperemia by improving blood flow. In addition, pain relief and break up of scar tissues are also advantages of using Deep Friction Massage.

Trigger Point Therapy Techniques

These techniques use distinct modalities like manipulative therapy, spray and stretch procedure, injections and ultrasonography to inactive trigger points to provide relief from pain. Among these treatment modalities, the use of trigger point injections is considered the best nowadays.

Muscle Energy Technique (MET)

MET is about exchanged inhibition where one muscle of the joint contracts and the other muscle relaxes. It usually deals with pains associated with mobility of the neck, shoulder or back. Muscle Energy Technique is also beneficial to treat scoliosis, muscle injury, Contractures and sciatica etc.

Results & Benefits of Sports Massage

Are you finding what Sports Massage does? See results and benefits of Sports Massage Therapy here:

Why Do You Get a Sports Massage?

Sports Massage would add significant value to your fitness routine whether you are an athlete, a novice player or perform exercises regularly. Consistent Sports Massage sessions promise to overcome the injury risk and improve your post-injury recovery period. Similarly, if you exercise regularly, the use of Sports Massage therapies would also assist in enhancing workout performance and prevent a niggle from converting into something serious.

Is Sports Massage Right for Me?

Sports Massage is a comprehensive therapy that is not mainly prescribed for athletes. Sports Massage was initially associated with athletes preparing their bodies before an event or healing post-event sports injuries. However, these are not only athletes who get benefit from Sports Massage, but in actual, Sports Massage in Belfast, NI is also being used to heal chronic pain, tendons & muscle injuries, improve mobility and much more. Indeed, Sports Massage Technique is equally helpful for people from all walks of life.

At Natural Healing Clinic Belfast, Archie Coogan provides the city’s most relieving Sports Massage Therapy. Archie offers Sports Massage to runners, novice players, triathletes, footballers, tennis players, golfers, boxers and non-athletes, including dancers, restless mums and busy executives.