A sports massage therapist is a person who treats, advises and prevents muscle spasms and injuries that occur because of sports-related injuries. They work closely with other sports officials like couches, physicians, nutritionists and managers for the welfare of the athlete. For those that work with sports clubs, they are indeed a part of the team due to their extensive role in determining the wellness and fitness of their clients. Apart from treating and preventing muscle problems, they ply other important roles such as determining whether the athlete is fit for a sports event, motivating and counseling them, and recommending further treatment among many others. This article gives information regarding the main roles of a sports massage therapist.
- Preventing and Treating Muscle Problems
The first and main responsibility of a sports massage therapist is to prevent and treat muscle problems. Due to constant involvement in strenuous physical activities, most athletes always get muscle problems such as muscle pull, injuries, tear and pains due to inflammation. By applying pressure using palms and elbows, the therapists manipulate injured muscles and the injuries are healed. Since they do so using essential oils that have healing properties such as CBD oil, the treatment targets the deep tissue of the injured muscles, hence fast relief. The treatment works by relaxing, easing and reducing muscle tension as well as inflammation. Besides, they also give guidelines on how to prevent and avoid further muscle injuries.
- Recommending Further Treatment
Although not necessarily a requirement, the therapist has extra knowledge and skills to detect other underlying issues with the health of their clients. This is because an athlete could be injured and have some other ailments that may be affecting their optimum performance in the field or track. If the ailment is an issue that the therapist can treat, then they go ahead and do it. However, if it is out of their jurisdiction, they recommend the athlete for further treatment by a different specialist such as a physician or an orthopedist. Together with other team staff, a good massage therapist should be able to detect problems with their clients and should never ignore them.
- Motivating the Athlete
On top of treating muscle injuries, a good massage therapist should be able to motivate their clients to adhere to guidelines that aim to heal their injuries. They should also motivate the athletes to work hard to take their careers to greater heights. Motivation is very important when it comes to sports and it is what drives an athlete while in action in the field or the track. However, for a massage therapist to motivate their clients, they should be in a good professional relationship. This relationship is dependent on several qualities such as good communication skills, being empathetic and friendly.
- Determining the Fitness of the Athlete
After an athlete has had a muscle injury, they should be ruled out of any forthcoming sports event until they recover fully. This is because further physical engagement only worsens the injury, and might lead to permanent disability or worse still, death. In the course of the period when an athlete is ruled out of action, they undergo many treatments, one of them being muscle treatment, which is the responsibility of a sports massage therapist. They are the ones who decide if the athlete is ready to bounce back to action or not, and when. This comes after an athlete has fully recovered from a muscle injury and other ailments.
- Being the Greatest Fan
A good massage therapist should not just be interested in an athlete’s wages; they should be their clients’ greatest fan. This means they should cheer them on while they are in action. Cheering their clients’ opponent would be a conflict of interest, which might even put their loyalty and job in jeopardy. They should also protect their clients’ image in public by defending them in defamation. They should be on the frontline, together with other club and team staff, to prevent clients from engaging in destructive activities such as drunk driving, too much drinking, and substance abuse. For a therapist to be able to support their clients, they should have established a good professional relationship with the athlete.
If you are a sports personality, you should vet your massage therapist by checking for their license and accreditation. This is because muscle health is very critical for your career and you do not want to take chances. An underqualified massage therapist will only elevate your muscle injuries and could even cause further physical injuries. So check for their customer reviews and ratings as you hire one.