Yes, anyone can do sports massage if they put a plan in place and commit to the education and career journey.
A sports massage therapist is a professional who uses massage techniques to treat and care for athletes who are suffering injuries or pain.
They work with their clients on rehabilitation processes, aiming to reduce pain, inflammation, long-term impact, discomfort or the risk of injuries occurring again.
Sports massage therapists work with a wide range of clients in a number of different settings and can be a highly rewarding role.
Sports massage is typically suited to someone who
- Is passionate about sports/recovery
- Wants to help people
- Eager to play an active role in people’s recovery
- Wants to work in a rewarding, hands-on career
- Hard-working and likes to mix, talk and network with others
- Interested in science/the human body
These are just some of the key characteristics and interests of people who typically want to become sports therapists. There are, of course, variations and no two people are the same.
The most important thing to note about becoming a sports therapist is that you do not need to be an amazing sportsperson. You may choose to work with sportspeople and teams. However, you do not need to be an expert in those sports, your expertise will lie in the treatment and recovery of your patients.
The treatment that you offer can also help relieve many day-to-day problems for non-sports people too such as repetitive strain injury, sprains, work-related tension and fatigue.
Sports massage can help with:
- Acute and chronic lower back pain and sciatica
- Neck pain, cervicogenic headaches, migraine prevention
- Sports injuries including: cramp, tennis and golfer’s elbow
- Frozen shoulder and other shoulder pain
- Hip and knee pain from osteoarthritis
- Fibromyalgia, rheumatic pain, digestive and circulatory problems
So, anyone who wants to do sports massage is generally interested in helping people while getting to work in the sports industry specifically is more of a specialisation or choice you make.
What Does A Sports Massage Do?
Sports massage promotes muscle recovery and helps us heal after exercise. It relieves our body from the stress of training, competition and from daily life.
A sports massage helps to improve the range of motion in our muscles, improves our posture, reduces inflammation and increases swelling.
It encourages recovery, enhances performance and helps to prevent injury. Regular sports massage is an incredibly important part of a professional sports player, athlete or dancers routine.
Becoming a sports massage therapist opens huge career opportunities across multiple sports, and industries, with your own practice and further career and academic development.
It is a rewarding, exciting and fast-paced role that allows you to engage with the sports you love, in a setting that invigorates you and your interests.
Read our sports graduates' success stories here.
If you are interested in studying sports therapy, you can check out our sports department here.
