Sports Massage Sports massage is a popular form of treatment for soft tissue injuries. Getting a regular sports massage also forms part of many athletes injury prevention strategy. We demonstrate simple sports massage techniques for various parts of the body and explain the benefits and effects of massage as well as when it may not be appropriate. Contraindications of Massage A contraindication is a situation when massage should not be performed. Continuing with treatment may be more detrimental than beneficial and in some cases may cause serious medical problems. Below we list a number of massage contraindications but do not claim it to be an exhaustive list. Always get professional advice. Benefits & Effects of Massage Sports massage can play an important part in the life of any sportsman or woman whether they are injured or not. Massage has a number of benefits both physical, physiological and psychological. It can help maintain the body in generally better condition, prevent injuries and loss of mobility, cure and restore mobility to injured muscle tissue, boost performance and extend the overall life of your sporting career. Professionalism & Ethics There are certain standards of behaviour and attitude that should be expected from your sports massage therapist. We are not all perfect all the time but below are a few simple ideas that you should expect from a professional sports massage therapist. Myofascial Techniques The word myofascial comes from the Latin words 'myo' meaning muscle and 'fascia' meaning band. Upper Back Massage Basic sports massage techniques for the upper back and neck which are often used to treat muscular related neck and pack pain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UySDVBe-ZeI A 4-5 minute video on Yannick Bolasie recovery from ACL and Meniscus injury.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5yaP5zXSd8&feature=youtu.be

https://theprosportacademy.com/what-david-haye-can-teach-sports-physios/

https://www.painscience.com/tutorials/iliotibial-band-syndrome.php

Best of Luck to all participating in the Great Limerick Run. How to Recover After a Half Marathon Recovery Phase 1: Right After Your Finish Don't Stop You're feeling exhausted, exhilarated and triumphant. That's all great stuff, but it's not time to sit on the grass staring bleary-eyed at your new medal. When you cross the ?nish line, don't stop moving. Do a light jog or walk up and down the finisher's corral to give your legs time to cool down and prevent cramping. Hydrate It's just as important to hydrate after the race as it is during. Water is good, but you're better off drinking something with electrolytes like coconut water, Nuun, a sports drink, or some juice. Stretch If you're going to follow only one piece of advice, it should be this one. After you cool down, stretch those legs and don't be lazy about it. The more thoroughly you stretch now, the easier it will be to get out of bed tomorrow. And the more likely you'll be to want to run another half marathon. Recovery Phase 2: Within One Hour After Finishing Eat Something Once you've settled a bit, you might start to feel hungry. This is a great time to refuel. Most races will have foods such as bananas, bagels, avocados and sports bars. Grab whatever suits your fancy and stuff your face. But maybe don't try anything brand new—your stomach will likely be more sensitive than usual. Ice Down Hopefully your training worked and you resisted pushing yourself into an overuse injury. But if you start to feel pain after the adrenaline fades, get some ice and facilitate the healing right away. Recovery Phase 3: One or Two Days After the Race Hydrate The next morning, you're probably going to wake up pretty sore in places. Your muscles will need to stay hydrated in order to recover quickly. Have some coconut water and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to replenish. Get a Massage The day after your half marathon, book yourself an appointment with the nearest foam roller. This will reduce the pains of delayed onset muscle soreness. Spend some quality time on the parts that hurt the most, like your calves, quads or hamstrings. The deep-tissue massage of a foam roller speeds healing by drawing blood ?ow to damaged muscles. Remember to hydrate afterwards. Take a Recovery Run If you feel up to it, jog or walk around the block. It might seem like a dumb idea to go for a run on day-after-half-marathon legs, but it's actually a good idea. Loosen your tight quads and calves to speed up healing, and you don't have to make it a 5-miler. Just ten or twenty minutes is enough. What you do after this is up to you, but I recommend getting back into the swing of things as soon as possible. After about a week you should be ?ne to get back on your running schedule. You may want to start training for another race, or you may want some down time. Either way, a good recovery will leave you with the most positive memory of your accomplishment. Active logo Sign up for your next half marathon race.

<img src="http://www.ahealthblog.com/wp-content/uploads/Lower-Back-Pain-Infographic.jpg" alt="Lower Back Pain Infographic" width="100%" /><p>Image via: <a href="https://www.ahealthblog.com/lower-back-pain-infographic.html"> Lower Back Pain Infographic </a></p>