Massage has been used for many years for treating illness and injury. Indeed, some Chinese writings have been found dating back to 2500 BC which describe using massage for various medical purposes. Massage is used a lot today for preparing athletes for sporting activities by toning up the muscles and it is also used for aiding recovery from sports injuries.

There are several different types of massage therapy which can be used to treat a variety of different issues. One of the better-known massages is Swedish massage. This type of massage involves long and soft strokes that gently knead the muscles. In between strokes, there are rhythmic tapping strokes which are used to stimulate the upper layers of the muscle.

The masseur will commence with effleurage which glides across the tissues and is designed to relax the soft body tissue to prepare the recipient for the next type of stroke. This is called petrissage and consists of rolling, squeezing, and kneading the muscle, and which can aid relaxation. This stroke can also help to release "knots" in the muscle and release stress throughout the body.

The next type of stroke is called friction and is a circular, deep movement that makes the tissues within the muscle rub against each other causing friction within them. This helps to increase blood flow and reduce scar tissue. It also helps to remove lactic acid and uric acid which are by-products of exercise, and the increased blood flow and oxygen into the muscles helps with the creation of new tissue and increased stamina and strength.

The last type of stroke in a Swedish massage is tapotement and the masseur will use the edges of his hands, the fingers, or cupped hands to tap away quickly at the muscles and this affects the upper layers of the muscles helping to increase blood flow here and getting rid of any surface knots or pain.

There is also trigger point massage. A trigger point is a point in the body which results in a pain in another part of the body and is known as referred pain. The trigger point muscles send a signal to another part of the body which is where the pain is felt. By massaging the trigger point, the blood flow and increased oxygen into those muscles will relax them and the pain will then subside because the muscles are no longer sending any pain signals. Neuromuscular massage is a sub-type of trigger point massage and is more focused on treating muscle spasms which can cause chronic pain in another point of the body, so the two massages are similar. There is often some pain associated with both trigger point and neuromuscular massages as pressure is put on tender parts of the body, but the increased blood flow will soon cause this pain to disappear.

If you have suffered a London sports injury, a sports massage can help. Sports massage is based on Swedish massage and is a deep tissue massage which aims to help with recovery from sports injury, particularly strains and sprains. It can help to shorten recovery time by promoting blood flow and lymph fluid, both of which help with healing, and helping to reduce swelling and inflammation. Scar tissue can be reduced also. In addition, a sports massage helps to remove uric and lactic acids which are waste products that are created naturally as a result of exercise.

A sports massage can also help psychologically by reducing stress and relaxing the recipient. This is particularly useful when sports massage is used before an event. On this occasion the massage is not as deep as after an event, and lighter strokes are used in order to tone up the muscles. This helps to put the athlete in a better position both physically and mentally, as a relaxed athlete will perform better than one who is stressed.

In fact, anyone who takes part in any type of sport on a regular basis will also benefit from a sports massage regularly too. This can be as often as once a week or every couple of weeks but ideally should not be left to as little as once a month.