Sports Massage

Sports Massage

Designed to improve your performance naturally, reduce the occurance of muscle injuries, and speed recovery from strenuous activity. Extensive experience with elite athletes and performing artists.

Massage Therapy Research and Education blog, by Dr. Christopher Moyer, Interviews Us!

Christopher Moyer, Ph.D., is a psychologist who has done research in massage therapy and meditation. He recently began a blog on research and massage therapy and I was honored that he asked to interview me for his blog.

I first got to know Chris when I heard that he’d done a metaanalysis that overturned what a lot of us thought about massage lowering cortisol. Curious, I looked him up on the internet and sent an email asking about his paper. Shortly after, I encountered him again in online discussions and it led to a friendship that was both professional and personal as we discovered we had many common interests.

True Runner Wins With Massage!

 The new True Runner store in Brentwood Plaza recently hosted an after-hours Ladies' Night and Massage St. Louis was there! It was a great event, with about 80 women of all ages in attendance. The atmosphere was friendly and festive, with tasty and healthy drinks and snacks available, attendance prizes, goodie bags for participants, and discounts on purchases made at the event. A representative from Moving Comfort gave a presentation on proper bra fitting and was available for private fittings. Massage St. Louis was there providing brief table massages and speaking with participants about self-help techniques and how massage can help them as runners. Participants loved the table massages and were often heard to exclaim, "Wow! That was great! I feel so much better!"

A drawing for a 30 minute massage was held at the end of the evening and Alex Roth was the lucky winner. Congratulations, Alex!

Of course, all the wonderful women in attendance were obviously winners! It was a great, friendly, enthusiastic group. Gotta love those runners! 

Running and Fatigue: Dr. Timothy Noakes Explains the Central Governor Model

 

In July of 2011, Will Stewart of 3-D Optimal Performance interviewed Dr. Timothy Noakes, a South African exercise physiologist and author of Lore of Running. Noakes recently published Waterlogged: The Serious Problem of Overhydration in Endurance Sports , a book which addresses the little known hazards of drinking too much water, especially for women in endurance sports. The primary subject of this interview is the Central Governor model proposed by Noakes to explain the role of the brain in our experience of fatigue during physical exertion.

Reader Question: Sprained Ankle and Sports Massage

A reader asks,

I sprained my ankle several times over the years, the worst being about 12 years ago going down a step and landing on the outside of my foot with ankle turned in. It still bothers me with tenderness and discomfort from side of my leg above the ankle, radiating up to behind the knee. I am considering sports massage for relief.

A good sports massage therapist or one trained in injury rehabilitation might be able to help you out. When an ankle is sprained, not only the ligaments of the joints are affected. The muscles of the lower leg may be strained and continue to cause pain and weakness long after the initial injury has healed.  I have often found trigger points or tender areas in the muscles of the side of the lower leg - the peroneals - or the muscle in the front along the shin - the tibialis anterior - that may linger for years after an ankle sprain. Sometimes the muscle in the lower calf - the soleus - may be involved. Often, when these muscles are treated and the trigger points addressed, the persistent pain and weakness will begin to clear up.

What Are The Different Kinds Of Massage?

Swedish massage. Deep tissue massage. Sports massage. Russian massage. Trigger point therapy. What are they and how are they different? If you are a client looking for a massage, how do you know what to ask for?

You don't necessarily need to know the name of a specific technique but you do want to be clear about your goal. When a new client walks into my office, I ask them what brought them in and what do they want to get out of their session? Some want to relax. Others have some sort of pain that they'd like to get rid of. Still others want to improve their performance. By understanding the client's goal, I can tailor the session to their specific needs. However, people do frequently ask the question, "What is the difference between these different kinds of massages?"

Working with Cirque du Soleil

No doubt about it, the best job I’ve ever had has been working with Cirque du Soleil. Four times.

People are often impressed that I have worked with Cirque du Soleil. I tell them don’t be impressed that they hired me the first time. After all, the first time they didn’t know what they were getting. Be impressed that they hired me the second. And the third. And the fourth time.

Improved Performance: One Athlete's Story

Many years ago I worked with a long distance runner whose goal was to qualify for the Olympic trials. He was the most serious athlete with whom I've worked the most consistently over the longest period of time. I saw him at least once a week for 2 1/2 years. After about six months of regular massage therapy, he commented one day that he'd just gone the longest period he'd ever had without a pulled muscle. I asked him to elaborate.