Why Sports Massage Sucks. A short story.

Samuel Wilmott
Apr 18
3 min read

Updated: Apr 21

Why Sports Massage Sucks (But in the Best Way Possible)

Let me take you back to the first time I had a sports massage in Saffron Walden. I was dealing with some seriously frustrating elbow pain—and for 20-year-old me, that was basically the end of the world.

I couldn't lift weights. The gains? Gone. Or so I thought.

Before that, I had tried everything: a physiotherapist with a few grand laser machine in the room, an osteopath, and i was even stretching religiously. Nothing worked. Zero results.

Then, one of my older personal training clients suggested I see a massage therapist in Saffron Walden. At this point, I didn’t have high hopes. If the “big guns” in rehab couldn’t help, how would some guy with half the training of an osteopath or physio do anything?

Still, I booked in...let's give it a go.

The Massage That Changed Everything

Walking into the treatment room, I already felt a bit awkward. I mean, I was getting my top off just to have someone work on my elbow—felt a bit sus, not gonna lie.

But then it all started to make sense.

The therapist got straight into my elbow and shoulder—and let me tell you, it hurt. Like, really hurt. This was some serious deep tissue work. I tensed up immediately, and he calmly told me, “Relax into the massage. Breath into the discomfort”

I did. And despite how much it sucked in the moment, I could feel it starting to work. The more the discomfort sucked, the better it got.

By the end of the session, the pain relief was insane. I felt light, almost euphoric. My elbow pain—something no one else had been able to fix—was basically gone. Within one hour.

It felt like magic. I was hooked.

I spent the following few days preprepared for it to come back, like the benefits would disappear. OK - I started to feel the twinge a tiny bit, but the pain levels had decreased massively. I went into that massage unable to pick up a kettle without burning elbow pain to that discomfort becoming a distant memory.

Why It “Sucks”—and Why You Need One Anyway.

Sports massage sucks because it can be painful. But let’s be real—most things worth having in life come with a little discomfort, right?

Getting a great job often means doing some hard (and boring) study.
Spending lot's of money on driving lessons but having freedom when you pass.
Climbing a mountain can suck, but you hit the peak & it's amazing!

Same thing with sports massage. Techniques like trigger point therapy and deep tissue work, dig into those tight areas. It’s intense. But it’s exactly what your body needs to release that built-up tension, improve mobility, and help with injury recovery.

Massage did what the others couldn't

Honestly, compared to some of the stuff I tried—lasers, dry needling, grip strengthening —sports massage was the most hands-on, practical, and immediate treatment I found.

That’s not to throw shade at physios or osteos—they’re brilliant, and their knowledge is next-level, but what I needed at that time was a Sports Massage.