Understanding my approach to sports massage
Whether you’re training for a race, hitting the gym hard, or just trying to stay active without constant pain, your body needs time to recover, adapt, and perform at its best. Sports massage is designed to support that process. Massage can be essential to helping your body move better, heal faster, and stay resilient under pressure.
It’s not just for elite athletes. It’s for anyone who pushes their body and wants it to keep showing up strong.
What is sports massage?
Sports massage is a targeted approach to massage therapy that supports physical activity. It can be used before or after a workout, between training sessions, or during injury recovery.
It is actually a broad approach which draws on several techniques. My sports massage work includes deep tissue, myofascial work, neuromuscular/trigger point therapy, active stretching, and more in order to:
- Release tension in overused or fatigued muscles
- Improve mobility, circulation, and joint function
- Decrease muscle soreness and recovery time
- Address imbalances or restrictions that affect performance
- Help prevent injuries caused by tightness, compensation, or overtraining
The work can be deep or light depending on your goals and where you are at in regards to training cycle. It's always focused on helping your body perform, recover, and adapt more efficiently.
Is sports massage right for you?
Sports massage is likely a good fit if:
- You’re training consistently and want to reduce recovery time
- You’ve got tightness, soreness, or mobility restrictions in key muscle groups
- You’re preparing for or recovering from an event, race, or competition
- You’re dealing with nagging pain or overuse injuries that affect performance
- You want to stay ahead of injury with proactive body maintenance
- You’re active, but also balancing stress, aging, or past injuries
Whether you’re lifting weights, chasing kids, doing CrossFit, yoga, or weekend hikes: sports massage is for people who use their bodies and want to keep using them well.
What to expect during a sports massage session
Sports massage is infinitely adaptable from targeted clinical work to deeply restorative experiences. It is always tailored to how your body is moving and feeling that day.
Here’s what that might look like:
- We start by discussing your training load, activity goals, and any trouble spots
- The session may focus on specific muscle groups, movement patterns, or joint mechanics
- Techniques may include deep tissue release, active or passive stretching, trigger point work, and fascial techniques
- Sessions may be more targeted and strategic than full-body, depending on your goals
- You’ll get real-time adjustments to pressure, pacing, and technique based on your body’s feedback
Some sessions are calm and recovery-focused. Others are more active and corrective. Either way, you’re in control, and the goal is the same: help your body stay strong, balanced, and ready for what’s next.
How I integrate this with other techniques
Like all massage techniques, I don't believe Sports Massage is the one true answer for all your problems. Rather than blindly applying a "system" or approach to your problem because it "should" work, I like to let your body decide what works. I typically begin with whatever techniques seem most likely to help based on my experience. I blend them together with techniques that create general relaxation and allow me to find additional areas of focus.
By communicating with you and paying attention to how your body responds to each technique, we will tailor the session to your needs together. You are always part of the decision making process. This allows us to gradually find the right mix of techniques that actually gets results for you.
Looking for Sports Massage therapy in the Lehigh Valley, PA?
Please feel free to reach out. I would be happy to discuss your situation and recommend myself or another professional provider depending on what will suit you best. I offer in home medical massage therapy appointments, and stay in touch with some other great local health professionals. I would love to talk with you!
