The large, hulking physique of a professional football player usually doesn’t illicit images of a massage therapist, but to the writers of this Blog it most certainly does. Why?
As we’ve outlined in previous postings (click here, for example) massage therapy is a highly effective treatment for athletes who are constantly in training, and football players match this description perfectly. Indeed, in professional leagues, college, and even high school nowadays, participating in football games means participating in strenuous trainings nearly year-round.
Massage therapy, of course, can be helpful for athletes who are constantly exercising their muscles, tendons and joints. Indeed, sports massage therapy is helpful for football players because it can:
- Help remove lactic acid and metabolic waste after trainings and games.
- Help relieve pain and swelling from injured areas.
- Help prevent pain and injuries in joints and muscles stressed by strenuous performance during games and practice.
For a look at how sports massage therapy can help treat common football-related injuries (such as groin injuries and knee pain), click here to be sent to a well-written article from the ABMP. Please share in the comments section if you know any football teams who have embraced sports massage therapy, or have any good resources/anecdotes to share about massage therapy and football.