The Difference Between Sports, Deep Tissue Massage

Sports massages and deep tissue massages are both excellent ways to help active people recover from injuries and help promote overall health. The two offer a slight difference, though, as sports massages target specific joins, while deep tissue massages work deeply into all muscles.

Benefit of Sports Massages

From professional athletes to avid weekend warriors, sports massages are a fantastic way to help people recover from vigorous activity. Sports massages work as much as a preventative measure as they do a recovery tool. Sports massages, in particular, can target specific joins and tendons to help promote recovery from overuse, but also to remain relaxed and active for future stress.

Think of a runner who spends a lot of time training. They put a lot of pressure on their knees and ankles especially, along with working muscles such as the hamstrings and calves. By getting these areas massage, they can lessen the tension of these muscles. This will help them recover to allow for training in the future to help reduce potential injury.

Benefit of Deep Tissue

On the other hand, deep tissue massages work the muscles below the surface. The massages tend to be very intense, putting large amounts of pressure on the muscle. The goal is to work all parts of the muscle, relieving knots and tension to help the body relax. People are typically sore after a deep tissue massage, similar to if they had lifted weights the previous day.

This type of massage can help people recover from injury, but also as a way to release endorphins and other naturally occurring chemicals in the body to encourage healing. Deep tissue massage are an excellent way for people to revitalize their body, but they do not target a specific area. They are better for promoting overall wellness, opposed to treating a specific body part.