SportMassage

It is told in legend that the DOG- of all the animals- was the only one willing to leave the Garden of Eden with man when he was banished.
Especially in the case of animals, the effectiveness of massage can be measured nearly as much by the intent of the practitioner as it can by his or her skill in applying the therapy.
J.H.Kellogg

Massage is valuable not only in cases of injury and disease, but also for promoting the general health, and preventing it (from) being lowered under ordinary conditions of life.
Benefits from massage;
Reduces stress and relaxes the body
Increases the flexibility of soft tissue
Reduce swelling
Aids in the elimination of bodily waste products and toxins
Helps to maintain good posture and body balance
Improves athletic performance
Loosens atrophy in inactive muscles
Releases endorphins
Enhances muscle tone and range of motion

The essential difference between sport massage and other techniques lies in the specific strokes used in sport massage have on muscle tissue. That is, when muscles overworked, over-exercised, and generally overloaded tissue will develop adhesions "clamps" of tissue. It will lead to fibrosis, which restricts the proper shortening and lengthening of the muscle, causing a spasm and pain.
The strokes used in sport massage are specifically designed to "break up" these adhesions, so that the muscle will be restored to its proper functioning.