Understanding Sports Massage
You spend a lot of time getting into good condition, don't let neglect take away any of those benefits.
Steve Rahm is the Volusia/Flagler County Coordinator for the FSMTA Sports Massage Team
Steve Rahm is the 2006 FSMTA regional Sports Massage Team member of the year
The Volusia Flagler team is a sponsor and responsible for care of the Daytona Thunder Indoor football team where Steve Rahm was a primary therapist during the 2006 Season
The Volusia Flagler team is a sponsor and responsible for care of the Daytona Hawgs NIFL football team where Steve Rahm was a primary therapist during the 2005 Season.The
Volusia Flagler team is responsible for massage services for the Daytona Beach Cubs baseball team where Steve Rahm was a primary therapist during the 2005 Season.
Steve Rahm was the sole massage therapist for the Monmouth county N.J. Liferguard team during the 2004 National Professional Lifeguard Competion in Daytona Beach where the team placed second in the nation.
Steve Rahm has also been a personal massage therapist to wrestler Kevin Nash
What is Athletic Massage?
Athletic Massage is sometimes known as Sports Massage. The goals of Athletic Massage are increasing strength through induced oxygenation, increasing endurance through boosted hyperemia, expediting muscle recovery, shedding metabolic waste materials (avoiding Delayed Onset Pain Syndrome), and reducing the possibility of injury. To the serious athlete these goals are paramount and give the edge in performance. Athletic Massage is used Pre-event, Post-event, and during training (where it is most effective) as well as in the specific treatment of soft tissue injury.
Who needs Athletic Massage?
In 1984, Athletic Massage was made available to all athletes competing in the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Since that time it has become standard for competitive athletes to employ massage therapists. This is not something which is limited to the Olympic caliber athlete. Any competitive person can benefit, especially during training.
The dangers of training and competition.
Intense training and competition push the body to the limits. This is necessary to improve and to win. It also results in increased metabolic waste buildup, strains of the muscle and connective tissue, inflammation and fibrosis, as well as spasms and pain which restrict motion. Skillful Athletic Massage alleviates these conditions. Normal muscle recovery when stressed to the point of fatigue takes 48—72 hours. Athletic Massage can cut this time by as much as half.
Benefits of Athletic Massage
Causes hyperemia (the bringing in of oxygen and nutrients to the muscle tissues).
Stimulates circulation and lymph drainage.
Stretches and broadens muscles and connective tissue.
Breaks down random adhesions.
Realigns collagen to form flexible scar tissue.
Reduces spasms.
Identifies trouble areas and helps avoid future problems.
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Special Benefits to athletes
Athlete reaches peak sooner.
Allows athlete to maintain peak longer.
Improved flexibility with more powerful response.
Better Performance and reduced likelihood of injury.
Eliminates stiffness and quickly rejuvenates muscles.
Reduces ischemic pain, splinting, tension, and pain from spasm.
Extends overall athletic career.
Pre Event Massage
This is a specific set of manipulations which oxygenate the soft tissues and prepare them for sustained activity.
Post Event Massage
This massage flushes metabolic wastes, relaxes and rejuvenates muscle and virtually eliminates delayed soreness.
Training Massage
This is really the most critical for performance. Training massage allows greater effort over an extended period with quick recovery to facilitate development of strength, endurance, and agility. These three can be the key difference between a frustrating competition and a winning game or race.