Sports Massage

Sports Massage is a general term for massage that focuses on muscle tissue and joint structures. It is called Sports Massage because it is the type of massage typically used to treat athletes. Athletes often strain their muscles and injure the structures of their joints. At Sports Arenas, you will see trainers come on the field and tend to the athletes. Often they put ice on muscles while the athlete sits on the bench to rest the muscle in between exertion and decrease swelling or inflammation. As you can imagine, what is good for our elite athletes is also good for us, whether we are weekend warriors or engaged in some less athletic activity that is taxing on our body. Sitting at a computer all day long is a challenge for our muscles and joints!

 

Sports Massage has many benefits for both your body and your mind. I'll list a few here:

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• Increases blood flow to the muscle cells, which speeds up  nutrition and waste removal.

• Reduces pain by relaxing the muscles around the injury.

• Maintains range of motion in the joint so that you have full flexibility and fewer injuries.

• Repositions muscles that may have slipped due to postural issues. This keeps all the structures in alignment allowing nerves and joints to function optimally.

• Helps the body repair muscle strains and tears by realigning muscles fibers and reducing scar tissue. This brings the muscle back to full function after an injury.

• Relaxes your mind and increases endorphins so that you are ready to take on the world. 

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At Chez Gabrielle, we do a particular type of Sports Massage. It's called Orthopedic Massage and was created by a chiropractor in the East Bay. Being a practitioner of this type of massage starts with a strong grounding in human anatomy, so that the massage therapist can identify the muscles in most need of attention. In this type of Sports Massage, we focus on the muscle position, muscle attachments to the joints (tendons), and keeping the structures around the joints clear and healthy. You'll find that you feel realigned when you leave the table. Any pain in your joints or muscle tension will be greatly reduced, if not gone. Many clients come in with a heavy walk from knee pain and leave with a spring in their step.

If you are considering doing an athletic event such as Bay to Breakers or an Iron Man, why not give yourself regular massages to help your body recover between workouts? You'll keep your body healthy, avoid injuries, and be successful in your mission to do the event.  A muscle strain or sprain could derail you for weeks while you recover. That would delay your training schedule and could leave you poorly prepared for thee event. If you are not in good condition for your event, you will have a lot less fun!

 

Also, if you find that you sit more than optimal during your day, you could also benefit from an Orthopedic Massage (Sports Massage). Your body isn't designed for a lot of sitting. We can help you reverse the effects of gravity on your joints and spine by repositioning your muscles. We will send you home with some targeted exercises to maintain the progress that we make in the session. You'll avoid many of the joint issues that show up later in life like frozen shoulder or sciatica.    

 

Come in for a massage with us, whether it be an Orthopedic Massage or a therapeutic massage. We will make sure that you leave walking easier and feeling better.