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One of the fastest-growing specialties of the massage industry is sports massage therapy. A sports massage therapist helps athletes improve their physical performance, become more flexible, and heal from injuries.

Sports medicine is a very important part of athletics, and many sports medicine clinics hire properly licensed massage therapists. Whether you’re looking to become a sports massage therapist or if you want to feel the benefits of this specialized massage yourself, we have a guide on everything you need to know about sports massage therapy. 

What Makes Sports Massage Special 

Sports massage specializes in a targeted approach to a specific area of the body that needs treatment. While some massages focus on the full body, sports massage focuses on healing a part of the body that has been subjected to strain or injury through athletics.  

Similar to deep tissue massage, sports massage relieves pain and tension. However, sports massage therapy is beneficial for healing and preventing sports-related injuries. Some of the motions are the same, but the targets and physical mechanics are different.  

Benefits of Sports Massage Therapy 

Many athletes rely on sports massage as a means of recovery and healing between games and events. For example, during the recent NCAA Tournament, a massage therapist helped alleviate a player’s injuries. This therapy is growing in use by players in all sports, and the benefits are vast. NFL players, in particular, swear by the advantages of sports massage and massage therapy in general.  

Beyond that, a sports massage gives the body a chance to recover and stretch following strain, while also helping build defenses against future injury.  

How to Specialize in Sports Massage 

The first thing you’ll need to do to become a sports massage therapist is to train and get licensed as a massage therapist. You can learn more about Swedish Institute’s massage therapy program. 

If you’re currently a massage therapist, you can specialize in sports massage. In fact, Swedish Institute’s continuing education department offers classes throughout the year to qualified professionals to help them learn more about the benefits of a sports massage and ways to use it in practice.  

Conclusion 

Sports massage therapy is a great way to help heal the body from athletic injuries and prevent further harm. If you are a licensed massage therapist, including sports massage could be a viable way to expand your practice. If you’d like to either start pivoting into sports massage or learn more about the kinds of places and treatments that sports massage involves, reach out to our team! We’d love to help you embrace a career in sports massage therapy.