Another technique that is not so often used as the three above is myofascial release. Myofascial release is to the manual massage technique for stretching the fascia (a specialised layer which surrounds the muscle) and releasing bonds between fascia and integument (skin), muscles, and bones, with the aim in eliminating pain, increasing range of motion and balancing the bodies muscles. Injuries, stress, overuse and poor posture can cause restriction to fascia. Myofascial release frees fascial restrictions, and allows the muscles to move efficiently. This is usually done by applying compression or tension tin various directions, or by skin rolling.
The use of Reciprocal Inhibition (RI) is when the therapist uses a patients muscle to stretch the opposite muscle. The sports therapist takes the muscle that they are wishing to stretch to its point of bind. The therapist then gets the client to use the opposite muscle by moving away from the therapist. When the client relaxes the therapist then moves the muscle to realign the muscle fibres therefore stretching the muscle. For example, when the biceps (in this case the agonist) is flexed, the triceps (here the antagonist) relaxes and causes it to stretch further. So if the client has a loss of range in motion in the triceps, it can be restored by flexion of the biceps.
Massage is used for a wide variety of circumstances, in this assignment I am mainly focusing on healing injuries but massage can also be used to relieve psychological stress, manage pain and most importantly improve circulation which works together with healing injuries. There are various massages, all targeting different things. Below is a list of all the anatomy massages can target:
-Muscles
-Blood vessels
-Joints
-Ligaments
-Tendons
The table seen beneath contain several strokes used in the sports massage:
Massage can be used before, during and after competing. For example an athlete could go to a therapist just before a big race for a massage to loosen up the muscles, relax if stressed, increase blood circulation so that to prevent injury during or after the event and to get rid of any lactic acid that had built up in the week from training.
Athletic competitions usually have heats and then a final, between the heats and the final most elite athletes go for a massage so that to increase blood circulation to get rid of lactic acid built up in the previous race, if injured and the athlete has decided to run through the injury then the massage will help repair the leg slightly and increase flexibility as injury usually cases a decease in flexibility.
Post competitions is when the performer will need the massage the most, in sprinting you always don’t run at 100% as you save that for the final, after the final race your legs will have a lot of lactic build up in then, could possibly be injured and would need to increase blood circulation so that sugar and other energy can be replenished in the tired muscles.
The sports therapist would need to use the correct medium when massaging the athlete and also using ultra sound so that the sound waves can enter the patient easily. There are numerous mediums for massage, or example, talcum power, oil and cream. Some examples of different types of oils are Lotus, Biotone and Earthlite, all these have different scents.
I conclude that each of the different massage techniques give different benefits and are used for different injuries, for example effleurage can be used at the beginning of a massage to increase the blood circulation and manipulation can be used for specific muscle groups to help the injured person become more flexible in the join.
Reference
Bibliography
The Complete Guide to Sports Massage (A & C Black, 2000)
Massage for Sport (The Crowood Press, 1999)
