Hands performing expert sports massage on a client’s legs to improve performance, reduce pain, and support recovery through targeted, clinical bodywork

Sports Massage

Specialized Treatments

After a long week of intense training or an exhausting race, your body can feel like it's been through a battleground. Muscles are tight, and recovery seems like a distant goal. A sports massage isn’t just about relaxation—it’s about helping your body recover faster, relieve tension, and prevent injuries.

Whether you're a seasoned athlete or someone who's just starting out, a sports massage targets the muscles that need attention, helping you get back to doing what you love with more strength and flexibility.

What is Sports Massage?

Sports massage is a therapeutic technique designed to prevent and treat injuries, alleviate muscle soreness, and improve flexibility for individuals who engage in physical activity. It focuses on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments used during exercise or sports, using specific techniques like deep tissue massage, stretching, and pressure to address areas of tension and enhance recovery. Whether for athletes or active individuals, sports massage helps improve performance, reduce the risk of injury, and speed up recovery after intense physical activity.

The Benefits of Sports Massage

Body Rehabilitation

Blood flow graphic symbolizing increased circulation from sports massage, enhancing oxygen and nutrient delivery to muscles to accelerate healing and recovery.

Improved Circulation

Helps increase blood flow, delivering oxygen and nutrients to muscles, aiding in recovery.

Muscle icon representing the release of tightness and knots through advanced massage techniques that improve flexibility, reduce soreness, and help prevent injuries.

Reduced Muscle Tension

Relieves tightness and knots, which can prevent injuries and improve flexibility.

Icon showing recovery boost after training, representing how sports massage accelerates muscle healing, reduces fatigue, and shortens recovery time post-exercise.

Faster Recovery

Accelerates the healing process after intense workouts or competitions, reducing soreness and fatigue.

Graphic of stopwatch and arrow symbolizing improved athletic performance through massage that enhances flexibility, muscle function, and overall mobility.

Enhanced Performance

Helps improve muscle function, range of motion, and flexibility, boosting athletic performance.

Preventative care icon highlighting how expert sports massage reduces injury risk by improving alignment, relieving tension, and addressing muscle imbalances.

Prevention of Injuries

Targets areas prone to strain, promoting better alignment and muscle balance.

Icon of a head with a lotus flower symbolizing how sports massage relieves stress, reduces anxiety, and promotes mental clarity and focus for peak performance.

Stress Relief

Reduces overall stress and anxiety, promoting mental clarity and focus.

Overall, sports massage aids in both preventing injuries and enhancing recovery, making it an essential component for athletes and active individuals.

What to Expect

When you book a sports massage at Selina's Therapy Center,
here's what you can expect:

Initial Assessment
The session will start with a brief discussion about your activity level, goals, and any specific areas of discomfort or tension. This helps Selina tailor the treatment to your individual needs.

Focused Treatment
Selina will apply varying pressure to the muscles and tissues, focusing on areas of tightness, soreness, or injury. Techniques may include deep tissue work, stretching, and trigger point therapy, depending on your needs.

Discomfort and Relief
While some discomfort may occur, especially in areas of tension, it should never be painful. It's normal to feel a bit sore after the session, similar to the feeling after an intense workout.

Post-Session Effects
After your sports massage, you may experience a feeling of relief and relaxation, with a noticeable reduction in muscle tightness. It's recommended to stay hydrated to support the body's recovery process.

Ongoing Progress
Regular sports massages can help maintain muscle flexibility, prevent injuries, and enhance overall performance. Consider incorporating sports massage into your routine to keep your body at its best.

Athletes high-fiving in a field, representing how sports massage supports recovery and performance for those with active lifestyles, from weekend warriors to pros.
Basketball player mid-dunk at sunset representing athletes and active individuals who benefit from sports massage for soreness, tightness, and performance recovery.

Is It Right for You?

Sports massage is ideal for individuals who engage in physical activities, whether you're an athlete, a weekend warrior, or someone who enjoys regular exercise. It’s particularly beneficial if you experience muscle tightness, soreness, or discomfort from intense workouts or training.

Sports massage may be right for you if:

  • You regularly participate in sports or intense physical activities.

  • You are recovering from an injury and need targeted muscle relief.

  • You experience muscle soreness, tension, or stiffness.

  • You want to improve your flexibility and range of motion.

  • You need help preventing injuries by maintaining muscle health.

If any of these resonate with you, sports massage can help optimize your recovery and improve your overall performance.

Selina’s Approach

Photo of Selina Sahba, expert clinical massage therapist in Pacific Grove, known for blending athletic insight with therapeutic sports massage to enhance performance and recovery.

Selina blends clinical skill with lived experience as an active individual, allowing her to tailor sports massage treatments that truly understand the demands of an athletic lifestyle. Each session is focused, intentional, and built to support recovery and performance.

Designed to help your body bounce back faster after training or competition.

Performance Recovery

Post-training recovery session illustrating how sports massage improves recovery time, reduces soreness, and restores muscular balance after athletic activity.

Targets tightness and soreness to ease tension and prevent overuse injuries.

Muscle Relief

Diagram of muscle fibers representing how targeted massage therapy relieves tightness, reduces soreness, and prevents common overuse injuries in active individuals.

Supports better range of motion and alignment, keeping your body ready to move.

Flexibility & Mobility

Icon with directional arrows representing improved flexibility, mobility, and joint alignment through expert sports massage therapy in Pacific Grove.
Athletic couple training together, symbolizing how personalized sports massage supports faster recovery, smarter training, and optimized physical performance.

Ready to train smarter and recover faster?

Close-up of Selina Sahba’s hands providing lower leg massage, reflecting deep understanding of active bodies and personalized care rooted in athletic experience.

When your therapist
moves like you do,
they know exactly
where it hurts—and
how to help you heal.

Explore Our Other Services

Close-up of hands performing leg massage, reflecting the diverse range of therapeutic massage styles offered by Selina Sahba at Selina’s Therapy Center in Pacific Grove, tailored for pain relief, posture correction, and overall wellness.

Body Rehabilitation

Posture correction and movement therapy designed to support recovery and keep you moving well beyond physical therapy.

Therapist’s hands gliding with care across a client’s back, symbolizing the diverse massage styles at Selina’s Therapy Center in Pacific Grove—each technique customized to relieve pain, restore balance, and support long-term wellness.

Massage Styles

Massages to relax, heal, and restore your body. Each style is designed to meet your specific needs for relaxation and recovery.