Sports Massage Therapy (SMT) has certainly surged in fame over the last decade thanks to social media, seen live where an athlete undergoes the intervention at halftime between a sports tournament, as well as information documented by a celebrity on TV. SMT has definitely gained traction and now becomes a lifestyle choice for many in the community, whereas Bioelectric Meridian Massage Therapy (BMT) is rising in popularity in certain parts of the world and for some, it’s a new and unfamiliar choice, which brings about an abundance of benefits to those who had tried.
Let’s dissect and understand how the two intervention approaches differ, learn their fundamentals, who may reap their benefits, to discover which is most appropriate for your body’s needs.
What Is Sports Massage Therapy?
SMT is a collective systemic method of manipulating soft tissues, either by performing effleurage with sliding hands over the tissue from one area to another, broadening muscle bellies in a transverse direction, kneading, compression, rhythmic percussive movements, friction techniques, and sometimes joint mobilization or stretching is added to improve range of motion as a part of the therapy.
The major goals of SMT are to maintain the health of the one who trains, competes or plays a certain sport. Furthermore, it is known to enhance athletic performance. Not in a wizardry spell kind of way, such as making one instantaneously breaking new world records. But more to treat debilitating conditions, to help an athlete maintain optimal healthy tissues, preparing for a tournament or enhancing recovery after a competitive tournament, and facilitate healing after an injury.
At any point in time, SMT is used to assist you with your training or competing needs. For example, a pre-event setting, sports massage therapy would function as a warm-up for athletes in reducing stress on the muscles and lessening anxiety for the mind. SMT in an inter-event would help in recovery and readiness for athletes that require to compete several times during a day. Injuries often seen in post-event situations include bruising, strains and sprains, hence SMT’s role post-event is geared towards facilitating recovery and dealing with problematic issues.
What Is Bioelectric Meridian Therapy?
Behold, BMT looks at the paradigm of wellness and healing in a unique lens compared to other bodywork modalities. One of its core approaches is to address blockages and disperse imbalances in the flow of Qi by manipulating electrical energy manually in the hands of the therapist affecting the meridian points of a client, which lessens the manifestation of a disease and promote wellness. Qi is a life source currency that has to flow in a balanced way. If the flow is disrupted, a person’s state of wellness won’t be able to regain, maintain or improve.
BMT believes in the body, in order to heal and repair, it takes -50 mV of energy to make a new cell in the process. Therefore in a session of BMT, it actually tries to stimulate electrons along the acupuncturing point to make cells work so healing can take place in an alkaline environment. BMT is also used to improve blood circulation, provide pain relief and relaxation in a wide range of conditions.
Is Sports Massage Therapy Exclusive To Athletes Only?
SMT has become a valued lifestyle treatment for many and is suitable for gym clubs goers, any student at schools and universities with sports programs, dancers, desk sitting turned “weekend warriors”, or competitive beginners from any sports at an early entry-level to a high professional league.
Who Can Benefit From Bioelectric Meridian Massage Therapy?
Anyone from all ages and gender that seek to improve their current state of wellness for the betterment can benefit from BMT. The electrical energy felt by clients is very safe and it is a calming experience with no post side effects during a BMT session. BMT is suitable for people who are battling chronic injuries or recovering from orthopaedic surgery (be sure to check for any contraindications from a certified BMT practitioner) have seen favourable results in rehab. Just like other forms of bodywork modalities out there, BMT is a client-centred therapy and their objectives is to bring out its best qualities aligned with its approach each time in wellness.
Nelson
BMT Practitioner
Reference.
Moraska A. Sports massage. A comprehensive review. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2005 Sep;45(3):370-80.
Healing is Voltage: The Handbook, 3rd Edition
