I get asked quite often what the main differences are between Sports Massage and Soft Tissue Therapy (STT), and whether or not STT would be beneficial to them as they have got an ache or pain in their back. In short the answer is yes.
STT is This is on a much higher clinical level and sports massage is just one small part of it. One technique which I would use to help treat a client alongside many other techniques.
'The aim with STT is to treat all minor and chronic injuries whether cause through sport or any other lifestyle factor such as work etc, using not only massage but other more advanced techniques. It also aims to identify the underlying causes of injury and offer more long-term improvements in physical well being and injury prevention' (LSSM Website).
Through studying with the LSSM this broadened my horizons to different advanced techniques of which get to the cause of the problems which have arisen. Instead of always treating the painful area of which will no doubt reduce the pain symptoms but may not get to the root cause of the issue.
This isn't saying that sports massage isn't good for you. Quite the opposite, if you go for regular sports massages to keep the little niggles at bay or even to stop any niggles occurring then there is no question that this will reduce the risk of injury. It will also help you with flushing your muscles out to help you keep on performing at your best.
However, when STT comes in to it's own is if there is already an injury or a underlying injury there. Whether they're known or not to the athlete/ individual. Identifying these problems and treating them is what STT is about.
STT and sports massage is not just for sports people. The term sports massage came about from a deeper massage technique than the regular massage techniques used. Both sports people and non sports people will benefit massively from STT as in all walks of life injuries can occur from being at your desk in the office to walking to the shop. Regular treatment whether that be sports massage or STT will be beneficial to both athletes and anyone else who wants to maintain a good healthy lifestyle in their later years in life. Proactive treatment is a lot better way to do this than reactive treatment. It will be quicker to identify an issue therefore resolving a minor problem before it becomes a big issue. If you have any questions about it or would like any more info drop me an email on the address below. Thanks for reading, Alex ANSoftTissueTreatment@outlook.com