Working with sports and injury massage it was only a matter of time until I started working with basketball players. I work on several players from the college level to the pro level.
The legs and lower back need much of the massage work with some deep tissue on the upper back and neck. Calf muscles become very tight, and need regular work to stay loose and flexible. Deep Tissue massage and trigger point especially help with the large and normally tight lower legs. The quads also need a lot of work because of the huge amount of running that basketball players do. I use a lot of elbow on the quads making sure to work the kneecap relieving pressure and encouraging blood flow to the area.
The hamstrings are notorious for being tight and needing deep tissue massage work. I strip them out, loosening the tension on the back of the knee and the calf. This type of massage is great to have done before a game, as it gets tissue warmed up in a very tight muscle group.
The it band and side of the knee get detailed massage work, warming up the muscles and relieving some of the tension caused by tight hips and legs. Manual stretching is also used, to accelerate the flexibility and recovery process.
The shoulders, neck, and arms get some work to relax the upper back and to improve the stability of the body during shooting.
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