Massage Therapy For Football Players: Good or Bad?

In soccer, players have to use their feet to kick the ball repeatedly, and injuries can often occur while playing.

Sports massage is perfect for a football or soccer player as it can get rid of lactic acid and metabolic wastes. In addition, sports massage is aimed at relieving muscle contractions in strained and injured knees.

In this article, I will explains all you need to know about massage therapy for footballers.

Sports Massage Therapy For Footballers 

Sports massage is an ideal therapy for football players who have injuries on their arms and legs. Moreso, this therapy can relieve the pain in sore arms and reduce the tension on the back. 

A sports massage therapist also works on the back of the neck to lower the tension felt. In addition, massage techniques are helpful in the rehabilitation or repair of wear and tear and other soft tissue damage. 

It’s noteworthy to mention that muscles are stretched, hyperextended, or tweaked when playing football. Therefore sports massage can help relieve the pain caused by hyperextended or pulled ligaments.

Additionally, this type of massage is very intense. However, if you feel anything too painful, I suggest you inform your therapist as soon as possible.

Also Read: Massage Therapy: 14 Frequently Asked Questions Answered

Why Footballers Love Massage

Nobody understands how vulnerable footballers are to injury as Premier League fans. Whether it’s Theo Walcott and his injured ankle or John Stone and his damaged hamstring, fractures, sprain, and breaks can result in real problems on the field of play. 

Although a few knocks are inevitable, many problems football players experience can easily be avoided with a sports massage.

Top footballers receive regular sports massage to reduce micro muscle crevices’ swelling and get rid of waste products that accumulate in their muscles, i.e., lactic acid. 

It’s advisable to integrate massage into pre-and post-game routines. This can help speed up players’ healing processes and reduce their recovery time.

Additionally, research proves massage therapy can help improve a player’s flexibility and also enhance his performance.

Some serious massage is needed when a team undergoes an intense training week or three matches in a row.

On record, Faye White, former Arsenal Ladies captain, said massage is the main reason she managed to stay at the top of her game. 

Also, Pierre Michel Lasogga, a German player, made headlines after receiving a glute massage on the field mid-match.

What Are The Benefits Of Sports Massage For Football Players

Sports massage therapy is an excellent rehabilitation technique for sports injuries. This technique is effective, natural, and safer than many athletes believe. 

In addition, sports massage speeds improve the healing process and prevent re-injuries. It also helps soccer players recover fully and prevents long-term injuries.

So how exactly does massage therapy help soccer players? The paragraphs below provide answers to this question.

• It prevents and heals injuries. Massage therapy improving blood flow prevents or breaks down adhesions and stretches connective tissue. Massage promotes the secretion of certain fluids required for tissue repair. Such fluids include nitrogen and sulphur.
• Increased range of motion. Getting regular massage improves your range of motion and flexibility. This leads to enhanced performance and power on the pitch.
• Decreased recovery time after exercise. Toxins, including carbonic and lactic acid, accumulate in the muscles after an intense workout. These wastes are quickly eliminated from the muscles as sports massage helps boost circulations.
• Improves circulation. Massage therapy improves blood flow, circulation of oxygen, and nutrients to the muscles. This not only allows the body to rebuild itself but also enhances the overall health of the muscles.

How Often Should You Get Massage As A Footballer?

The number of times at which you receive a massage depends entirely on your needs. For instance, how much you like massage therapy, how much money you have, or how hard you work out.

If you can afford it, a monthly or weekly massage can help you prevent injuries by spotting tight areas before it becomes problematic. 

On the other hand, if it is challenging to fit a repetitive massage into your schedule (or budget), consider using a massage gun

The Opove massage gun can help you take care of your needs irrespective of how busy you are! Read this review below to found out more about Opove:OPOVE M3 Pro Massage Gun Review: Why It’s Worth The Hype

We recommend that athletes get massages the night after a hard workout or the next morning. By receiving the massage as close as possible to your last hard workout, you can recover most of the time and feel normal again. 

If you plan to get a massage before your next big game, then schedule it at least 3 to 5 days from the game. If it’s been a long time since your last massage, do seven to ten days. 

Take note that the deeper the massage, the longer it takes for the body to recover and react – just like exercise.

Also Read: Massage Therapists: 9 Common Questions Answered

Some Misconceptions About Sports Massage

Here are some two common mistakes footballers and other athletes make when getting a massage:

1). Don’t drink enough water: Drink plenty of water after the massage session to flush out some toxins and waste products released from the muscles. Some people have reported getting sick after undergoing a hard massage session. In general, this means that the muscles are releasing a lot of toxins. If you drink a lot of water, they will be excreted.

2). Massage should hurt: Massage doesn’t have to hurt to be effective. Massaging a tight, problematic area will cause some discomfort. But it shouldn’t bruise or make you jump off the table. If you keep getting bruises after massage sessions, your therapist may just be too hard.

After a hard massage, it takes time to relax and not feel lethargic. If you feel a little dead around your leg the next day, that’s fine. It is therefore essential to plan at least one relaxing day between a hard training session and a hard massage.

Final Words

Soccer teams should include massage therapy in their exercise routine. This will help the team players stay fit and healthy. Besides, sports massage is designed specifically for people (both men and women) who engage in many physical activities. 

Lastly, I have come across several testimonials online which claim Massage therapy helps to strengthen footballers’ muscles and recover from other sports-related injuries.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this website results from in-depth research on various topics. The articles on this site are only for informational and educational purposes, and it’s not intended as medical or health advice. Hence, we suggest you always ensure to seek the opinion of your doctor or other qualified health personnel regarding any questions that relate to health objectives or medical conditions.