Sports Massage

Sports massage at Physio Clinic Suchánek applies classic massage techniques alongside modern physiotherapy-informed methods to prepare the body for athletic performance or accelerate recovery after training and competition. The 55-minute session addresses the most common sites of sports-related tension — hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, hip flexors, thoracic spine, and shoulder girdle — using combinations of effleurage, deep petrissage, cross-fibre friction, and stretching to restore muscle extensibility and circulation. Longer 85- and 110-minute formats allow full-body coverage for multi-sport athletes.

Sports massage at Suchánek occupies a distinct clinical space between relaxation massage and physiotherapy: it is applied at greater depth and specificity than a spa treatment, but focuses on the muscle groups and movement patterns relevant to the client's sport or training load rather than on pathological conditions requiring diagnosis. The 55-minute session is structured around a brief intake — sport, training frequency, recent sessions, areas of concern, upcoming events — that allows the therapist to prioritise the areas of greatest functional relevance. For a runner preparing for a race, that typically means hamstrings, calves, hip flexors, and IT band. For a swimmer in the competition phase, the focus shifts to the shoulder girdle, rotator cuff, and thoracic mobility. Techniques used in the session include effleurage (warming and flushing the superficial tissues), petrissage (kneading and compression to address deeper muscle fibres), cross-fibre friction (targeting specific tendon insertions and fascial adhesion sites), and passive stretching to restore muscle extensibility where neural tone has accumulated. The therapist adjusts pressure and technique in real time based on tissue response — identifying areas of significant restriction that may need additional time. The 85- and 110-minute formats extend coverage to a full-body session, beneficial for athletes carrying tension across multiple regions or preparing for multi-day events. These longer sessions also allow more time at individual sites — for example, spending 20 minutes on each lower limb rather than the compressed pass of a 55-minute session. Post-session recommendations include hydration, active recovery (light movement or swimming rather than rest), and specific stretches or self-massage techniques (foam rolling protocols, lacrosse ball release) appropriate to the areas worked. Who benefits: athletes at all levels — recreational runners, cyclists, swimmers, team sport players, martial artists, and gym-goers managing chronic training load. Also suitable for people whose work or lifestyle creates movement patterns similar to sporting repetitive stress. Frequency: every 2–4 weeks for athletes in consistent training; weekly in the 4–6 weeks before a major event or during high-volume training blocks.