ProTouch Sports Massage Tips

NOTICE: This forum should NOT serve as a tool for self-diagnosis. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the expertise of your primary healthcare provider. Only your physician can diagnose injuries and illnesses and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the ProTouch Massage & Muscle Therapy FAQ forum. As part of the cool ‘stuff’ provided by the folks at Cool Running, I’ll be bringing you information about various massage/muscle therapy modalities, how sportsmassage can help you achieve your goals, injury prevention and treatment, and other healthful tidbits. Every month we’ll answer a couple of questions from the ol’ mailbox and put ‘em on line for the running world to see. If you’ve got a question, ask!

What is Sports Massage?

Whether you’re a world class athlete, weekend warrior, or just out for the occasional jog after a brutal day at work, sports massage can help you attain your goals. As the benefits of massage/muscle therapy have become more evident, athletes at the local level have embraced it as a means to help them increase their conditioning, performance, and avoid serious injury.

A sports massage session is usually briefer and more intense than a general full-body massage. In most cases, the therapist will focus on the particular muscles most stressed by your activity, the legs of a runner for instance. The goal is to ease any chronic muscular problems and work out potential problem areas before they become more serious and interfere with training and performance.

Pre-event massage is used to loosen muscles prior to the activity. Along with stretching, it will help make sure the muscles are warmed up and ready to go. It can also help to calm pre-race jitters allowing the athlete to better focus on the event.

Post-event massage can help to minimize pain and discomfort, prevent stiffness and return muscles to their normal state more quickly after the race. When I’ve provided post event massage at local road races I’ve noticed that the seasoned runners will seek me out right away - they want that massage, they know what it does, they know how good they feel afterwards. The rookies will be tentative the first time they receive post race massage, even to the point of having to be ‘talked onto the table’, but after that, watch out! They’re hooked.

How Does Sports Massage Work?

A regular sports massage routine will help;

• Increase circulation of blood and lymph to muscles and other soft tissue. This helps to maintain nutrition to the muscles and flush out metabolic wastes.
• Reduce adhesions (or knots) in muscles, this restores muscle integrity and full range of motion.
• Promotes flexibility, relaxation and muscle balance.
• Reduce muscle soreness and tightness after strenuous exercise.
• Fewer muscle problems will help you attain a more consistent and higher level of training, thus improving performance.

“Even if I weren’t an athlete who trains 		“I receive 2, two-hour full body 
regularly, I would still use massage to 		massages every week during the 
keep my muscles in shape for any kind		        season. It helps keep me loose and
of physical activity.”					ready to go.”
Bill Rogers, 4 time winner of the Boston		Emmett Smith, running back
Marathon and New York Marathon			        Dallas Cowboys

How do I Choose a Massage/Muscle Therapist?

• What are my goals for the massage therapy session? To; loosen tight muscles? relax? reduce stress? address a chronic muscular problem? Knowing what you want to accomplish will help you focus on therapists specializing in your needs.
• Can a friend, relative or my doctor recommend a therapist?
• Is the therapist state licensed and nationally certified? What are their credentials? Licensing requirements vary state by state. Your local Board of Health can tell you what the requirements are.
• What setting is the therapist’s practice in and what effect will this have on my treatment? Will that noisy kids locker room next door interrupt your relaxation treatment at the local health club? If the therapist works from a room in their home, will their pets aggravate your allergies? If you can’t mentally and physically relax, the session will not be as helpful.

Once you have a list of potential therapists, call them, visit their office, interview them. Therapist’s are looking to build a loyal clientele, they should be willing to talk with you prior to scheduling an appointment. Above all, you need to be comfortable with your decision, don’t hesitate to try different therapists until you are satisfied. Other important considerations are; Do they accept/deal with insurance or workers’ compensation? Are they conveniently located? What are the office hours? Be choosy, expect the same level of care and commitment as you would from any other health professional. Other sources for finding qualified therapists are to call massage therapy schools for referrals to local graduates, or the American Massage Therapy Association at (708)864-0123.

Norm St.Onge is a licensed and nationally certified massage therapist and is the owner of ProTouch Professional Massage & Muscle Therapy in Townsend, MA. He is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association, the Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Townsend Business Association. He can be reached at 508.597.5219. Please email questions to Norm St. Onge at protouch@tiac.net.

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