The report “Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet: England 2014,” published by the UK’s Health and Social Care Information Centre, revealed the results of the Active People Survey. This survey monitors the participation rate in 32 sports in England and tracks changes in the recorded participation levels over time.
In this survey, “participation” is defined as the number of adults (aged 16 and over) who took part for 30 minutes or more (at least once in the last week as of the time of the survey) in a sport at moderate intensity.
The survey revealed that in 2012/13, 2,892,200 people participated in swimming, 1,958,000 participated in athletics, and 1,939,700 participated in football. Also, according to the Professional Players Federation, there are over 15,600 professional sportsmen and women in Britain.
With millions of people engaging in physical activities and organised sports each year, there is a great need for professionals who specialise in addressing the health conditions of athletes and highly active individuals and providing care and the appropriate treatments for running injuries and disorders. And here is where a skilled sports therapist comes in.
What role do sports therapists play?
Athletes are trained and conditioned to push their bodies to the limit to score points and clinch wins for themselves or their sports teams. With the body in constant explosions of motion and varying levels of contact with fellow players, the chances of figuring in accidents or becoming injured are high.
Sports therapists are educated and trained to help athletes practise their drills, develop skills, and compete in their sport safely. These professionals also help athletes rehabilitate and recover from injuries, return to complete form and fitness, and prevent further damage to the body.
How do sports therapists assist their client athletes?
A reliable sports therapist may perform the following responsibilities:
- Assess the athlete’s fitness level and readiness for a specific sporting event
- Test abilities and the range and ease of movement in the joints
- Provide emergency aid and support during sporting events
- Offer advice on nutrition and exercise to promote recovery
- Examine, assess and treat injuries and determine whether the player can continue participating in the event
- Prescribe, design and facilitate a rehabilitation programme appropriate to the extent of the injury
- Employ different technologies and methods for the treatment of pain and injuries (manual or electrotherapies)
Health and recovery of athletes with sports massage
Sports massage therapists can be certified to specialise in a particular practice.
Sports massage, for example, is specifically designed to help players recover from injuries such as broken limbs, torn ligaments or sprains.
One type of sports massage is the Emmett Sports Massage, a “bespoke remedial massage therapy solution” that uses a precise formula to reset specific recognition points (called the Emmett Master Points) and improve the body’s overall stability. Athletes can benefit from this type of massage, which helps players gain better coordination, flexibility, endurance, energy, and fluidity of motion.
With the help of an extensively trained, skilled and perceptive sports therapist, the UK’s athletes can achieve peak performance, maintain optimal health, and avoid injuries that could potentially set them back on their professional sporting goals (or their passion for high-energy activities). They are valuable partners for any aspiring and successful athlete.
He has also helped patients find relief from pain, effectively recover from injuries, get back into top form, and achieve an improved quality of life.
Sports therapists help patients find relief from pain
Massaggi sports massage, by definition, addresses soft tissue, also known as muscular tissue or muscle; this includes the first layer of all muscle tissue called the myofascial to deeper muscle tissue.
The musculoskeletal system is nature’s very complex work of art, where total equilibrium and synergy are required for optimal function and performance.
In any form or training, external and internal forces such as gravity and stress constantly challenge this equilibrium, often exceeding its capacity to cope.
Remedial sports massage therapy uses various massage techniques, ranging from general massage and stretching techniques to more complex ones, such as muscle energy (MET), neuromuscular (NMT), or soft tissue release (STR), to restore balance and equilibrium where trauma, tension, or stress has occurred.
This process will occur by breaking down adhesion and scar tissue, avoiding their buildup, and, most importantly, dramatically improving blood circulation.
Ben Pianese, a sports massage therapist, believes a good blood supply is vital and contains all the ingredients needed for growth, repair, and nutrition. The pumping effect of specific massage techniques stimulates blood flow to eliminate waste material that arises from energy production, tissue damage, and inflammation.
Above all, general circulatory stimulation can help improve the health and recovery of most body systems.
Sports massage treatments will enhance recovery from hectic lifestyles and exercise activities and improve body relaxation and performance for an optimal experience.
