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Welcome to Ohio Valley Massage Associates;

OHIO VALLEY MASSAGE ASSOCIATES PROVIDING MASSAGE FOR STEUBENVILLE, WINTERSVILLE, WEIRTON, TORONTO AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
Office: 123 East Road Toronto, Ohio 740-544-6644 1-800-618-7522 George@MassageOhioValley.com

Sports Massage
information FROM the body worker

Sports Massage is the application of massage therapy and neuromuscular techniques to enhance athletic performance and to promote and preserve the optimal health of the athlete. It involves a series of individualized soft tissue treatments to help each athlete achieve his or her personal performance goals by relieving muscle pain and stiffness, speeding up recovery after training sessions or competitions, and increasing energy and stamina.

How is Sports Massage Used?

Sports Massage is beneficial before and after training sessions and competitions, and on a regular or “maintenance” basis. For optimal health and peak performance, a regimen of weekly or biweekly sessions lasting 45-60 minutes is suggested for the active athlete. Sports Massage is also beneficial as a post-rehab intervention when injury has occurred.

PRE-EVENT POST-EVENT POST-REHAB PEAK PERFORMANCE

Sports Massage Training Guidelines
Training massages are given throughout the training stage of athletic performance. An athlete will have an event in mind and begin a regimen of training as needed to reach that goal. They begin with building a base of strength and endurance and continue to attain maximum performance level. Massages can be given before or after a workout depending on the needs of the athlete. Treatments are geared toward the areas of highest stress during the workout. Each sport varies as does each athlete's stress points.

Benefits of Massage for Athletes in Training:

Faster recovery from micro damage and trauma from workouts
Increase in flexibility and range of motion
Relieve fatigue and rejuvenate
Reduces the strain of repetitive motions
Reduces the healing time of injuries

General Guidelines:

The main goal is to keep an athlete injury free. What do you need to do to accomplish this?
Find out what their schedules are like. Do they lift weights, run, stretch, drink enough water?
Are they doing more strength training, endurance training or both? Are they sore from tightness or lactic acid build up?

Massage before a workout guidelines: Massage before a workout can make a athlete feel weaker and unmotivated. They may not even want to do their workout after the session. Be sure to know your clients needs before proceeding and warn them as to the effects of such a treatment. Once you get to know your clients schedule and training methods, you will be better able to determine if a session should be done before workout or after a workout.

Find out when they last worked out and what they did in the workout. What areas are tight, fatigued or over stressed
Check to see when they will be working out. That day? A few hours away? The next day? The time may influence the type and length of massage session.
Work to increase flexibility and range of motion.
Know your athlete's event. Ask them. They know where they hurt and take the most stress.
Look at your client's overall body alignment to determine areas of higher stress.
If they are fatigued you may want to use more effleurage and other strokes to drain lactic acid build up. If they are tight, you may want to use Trigger point methods.

Massage after a workout guidelines:

Find out what they did today and provide treatment accordingly. How did they feel today? When is their next workout?
Do they need flushing out or relief from tightness?
Are there other areas not directly involved in their activity that may be bothering them?

Benefits of sports massage
Sports massage is effective because of the beneficial physiological and psychological effects that are derived from the massage. Specifically, sports massage treatments enable the athlete in training to work out and recover faster and more efficiently.

During any exercise, as a muscle contracts to do the work, it's fibers shorten and glide together allowing the muscle and tendon to broaden. In sports massage, compression and friction techniques imitate this broadening to help create more pliability of the connective tissues and eliminating restrictions in the broadening of the muscle.

Some of the benefits of sports massage include:

maintaining and increasing flexibility
Improves alignment of the body to optimize performance and eliminate wear and tear
speeds recovery of muscle and tendons after hard workouts and competitions
reduces stiffness and soreness of training
reduces risk of injury
increases the circulation
enhances the athlete's awareness of their body
greater improvement in strength, endurance and overall fitness

A tight muscle is a weak muscle.

A tight muscle is not using all of it's fibers for contracting and therefore a workout will not be as effective.

A tight muscle increases the risk of injury.

Pre-Event Guidelines
Sports Massage is basically applying the principles of bodywork and massage to athletes. What makes it different is that athletes have very special needs. Knowing the person and the sport is what will make your treatment of greater value.

This is a short, specific treatment given immediately before ( 30 minutes- 24 hours before) and event. The goal of treatment is to increase the circulation, flexibility and mental clarity of the client to improve performance. It does not replace the athletes warm up but complements it. It is important to know your clients sport or activity and what muscles are used the most. It is also necessary to assess the athlete's condition and needs prior to treatment. Factors such as temperature, nervousness, fatigue, hyperactivity are considered before giving a treatment. If the client is cold more warming things need to be done. If they are already warmed up, focus on flexibility. If they are nervous some soothing strokes may be called for.

The amount and depth of treatment is the most important key to effective treatment. Deep tissue work is contraindicated as it may cause too much of an increase in flexibility and it may interfere with the clients timing and strength. Keep the goal in mind at all times.

Use brisk invigorating variations of sport massage strokes to specific muscles as per sport
Create long lasting hyperemia
Use gymnastics, stretching, PNF if athlete has used them before.
Begin light and gradually increase pressure and speed
Energize or calm down as needed
Do Not comment on tightness at this point-it may be too negative and depressing
If an athlete is unprepared or injured or tight to the point of causing an injury, bring this up with caution
Consider the time remaining before and event. If it is 30 minutes, give a really short (5-10 minute) treatment. If it is the day before, a little longer treatment is ok.
Be aware of how much a client has had massage previously to an event. It will determine how their body will react to the treatment.
In endurance sports, concentrate on overall energy and flexibility.
In strength related sports, concentrate on the specific muscles used.
Do Not Treat Stress points/Triggerpoints: Use only 24 hours before competition and only if the athlete is used to having such a treatment before and event.

Post Event Guidelines
Post Event treatments are done immediately after an event, usually within 1-2 hours. The goal of the session is to flush the tissue of the lactic acid and other by products of metabolism. The intent is to cool down the body and return it to homeostasis. Muscle tension, cramping, and inflammation are also addressed. Remember anyone competing in an event usually gives it their all in terms of effort and are left extremely fatigued. Massage can reduce the recovery time of such an effort.

Ask the Athlete these questions to assess the condition of the person:

How much water have you had since the event?
How did you do in the event?
Are you hurt or feeling tension anywhere?
What do you want worked on?
Do you feel hot/cold?
Is there another event after this?

Treatment Suggestions:

Use light draining strokes moving toward the heart: concentrate on moving fluid out of there.
Use jostling or vibration
Use general compression
Start lightly and gradually apply more pressure
Use gymnastics to assess the joint range of motion: Do Not Do active resistive exercises on tired muscles
Use gentle compressions and light circular friction to aid in circulation and reduce spasming
Use effleurage and pettrissage for lymph drainage
You may not be able to use oil or lotion so keep that in mind.

Things to watch for during Post Event Treatments:
Hyperthermia
Definition: When the rate of heat production exceeds that of heat loss for a sufficient period of time, resulting from inadequate fluid replacement or from failure of the thermoregulatory systems of the body
Heat Exhaustion
Signs/Symptoms: Headache, nausea, hair erection on upper arms and chest, chills, unsteadiness, fatigue, skin cool and pale, sweating, dizziness, thirst

Treatment: Refer to medical aid unit to be placed in a cool environment and allowed to "sip" water.

Heat Stroke- Failure of the thermoregulatory systems: Extreme Emergency
Signs/Symptoms: incoherent speech, acute confusion, aggressiveness, rapid unconsciousness, absence of sweating (occasionally sweating), weakness, irrational behavior

Treatment: Refer to Medical Unit : Decrease the body temperature immediately with cold compresses to the head and neck, alcohol rubs, place in cool environment

Thermal Stress Conditions:

Hypothermia- the rate of heat production is exceeded by heat loss: unable to maintain adequate core temperature: can be worse on cool, wet windy days.

Signs/Symptoms: shivering, euphoria, appearance of intoxication: shivering may stop as core temperature drops even more. Lethargy, muscle weakness followed by disorientation, hallucination, combative behavior, unconsciousness

Treatment: Refer to Medical aid unit: Restore body warmth with protective covering and surface friction. Remove wet clothing and move to warm environment.

Cramps
Definition: complete muscle spasm without complete contraction of the fibers accompanied by intense pain
Causes: fatigue, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance ( calcium, potassium, magnesium), muscle strain, injury

Treatment: Bring origin and insertion of muscle closer together. Avoid further spasm. Direct pressure may also help. Ice massage, replace fluids and electrolytes.

Areas of Greatest Stress By Sport

Running/Jogging:
Long distance: Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Adductors, Gastrocnemius, Knees, Ankles, Plantar Fascia, Quadratus Lumborum, Piriformis, Gluteals, Iliopsoas, Abdominals, Trapezius, Deltoids, Teres Major, Teres Minor,
Distance running stresses the joints because of the repetitive pounding and jarring of the hips, knees, ankles and feet. The balance of the foot determines stress areas. Pronation or supination can occur due to imbalances in the hip and psoas.

Sprinters: Iliopsoas, Gastrocnemius, Hamstrings, Piriformis, Quadratus Lumborum
Short bursts of speed require strength with higher leg lift and faster cycles of leg turnover. Running on the toes puts excess strain on the lower legs. Running one way on the track around curves put strain on the inside hip and leg. Iliotibial bands absorb stress. The balance of the foot is important.

Groin injuries and hamstring injuries can occur during starts off the blocks.
Neck strain from excess speed should be treated as needed.

Cycling: Low back from constant flexion; neck - extensors, SCM ; shoulders- pectoralis, trapezius, arms, wrists, hands from weight bearing on handle bars, quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, gastrocnemius.
Watch for overuse of hamstrings as they are in a constant shortened position.
Wrist strain may occur from clenched fists and flexor contraction.

Weight Lifting: Total body stress. Excessive abdominal exercises can lead to imbalances in the psoas. Back problems may occur. Strains occur when improper technique is used or lifting too much before they are strong enough. One side is often weaker than the other which is reinforced with the lifting. It is necessary to work all areas to build balance as injuries are usually due to imbalances in the agonist/antagonist groups.

Skiing:
Cross-Country : Endurance sport. abdominals, shoulders, arms, quadriceps
Downhill: The body is in constant isometric contraction. quadriceps, iliotibial bands

Rock Climbing: forearm flexor and extensors, hand and wrist, quadriceps

Tennis/Raquetball/Handball: Arm stress especially forearm is common. Elbow stress, Shoulder stress - deltoids, trapezius lower fibers. Elbow and forearm stress are usually from improper posture or technique.
Iliotibial bands are usually overused with the side to side movements.

Baseball: Shoulder alignment is important for throwing. The pectoral muscles, latissimus dorsi and teres major are often affected. Quadriceps and Hamstrings can become tight from quick starts running to base or fielding.

Basketball: Knees affected with jumping and landing. Calves and achilles tendons are strained with jumping. Hamstrings are often tight. Chest muscles are overstreched as players hold arms up in air. Iliotibial bands are stressed with all the running.

Soccer: Knee strain can occur with twisting from running and kicking. Hips, groin, leg, knees and ankles. Running with short bursts of speed and quick stops cause strain.

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Special Note & Disclaimer: The kind of massage and/or bodywork that is performed by Ohio Valley Massage Associates is ONLY therapeutic in nature, and is NEVER sexual in any way. Adherence to this statement, and the entire covering of private areas, are completely non-negotiable. Sexual comments, suggestions, innuendoes, actions or conversation will NOT be tolerated and are grounds for termination of the session which will remain paid in full. If we sense that a client is headed in that direction, one warning will be issued, anything after that will result in the immediate termination of the session per our policies and state law.

I understand that the services provided are not a replacement for medical or psychological care and that any information provided is not prescriptive or diagnostic in nature and is for educational purposes only. In consideration of participation for massage therapy with Ohio Valley Massage Associates, I for myself and my heirs and assigns, hereby release and forever discharge Ohio Valley Massage Associates and their employees from any claims, demands and causes of action arising from my participation in this massage program.

Copyright © 2002 [Ohio Valley Massage]. All rights reserved. Revised: 10/13/07

Copyright © 2002 [Ohio Valley Massage]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 10/13/07