Athletic & Sports Massage Therapy

Your body is your greatest asset—whether you’re an elite athlete, a weekend warrior, or someone who’s just trying to move better and hurt less. At Pinnacle Hill Chiropractic, athletic and sports massage therapy isn’t just about relaxation. It’s a proactive tool for athletes—and anyone with an active lifestyle—to keep moving well, training hard, and recovering faster.

The Power of Athletic-Focused Massage Therapy

Repetitive movement, poor posture, and overtraining can all lead to chronic tightness, restricted mobility, and injury. Our athletic massage sessions, often referred to as sports massage, are designed with these challenges in mind, targeting the specific soft tissue restrictions that hold you back from feeling and functioning your best.

Whether you’re dealing with runner’s knee, weightlifter’s shoulder pain, or the effects of prolonged desk work before hitting the gym, our therapeutic approach addresses both acute issues and long-term performance goals.

Benefits of Sports Massage

  • Reduces soreness and speeds up recovery after workouts
  • Improves flexibility and joint mobility
  • Breaks down adhesions and scar tissue
  • Helps prevent injury by identifying and addressing muscle imbalances
  • Relieves chronic pain from posture or overuse
  • Boosts performance through improved body awareness and movement quality

Prevention-Focused Care

Massage therapy isn’t just reactive care—it’s proactive. Regular sessions help athletes and active individuals maintain optimal muscle health, correct movement dysfunction, and recover more quickly, so minor issues don’t become major setbacks.

Common Injuries/Issues We Treat

Movement & Overuse:
  • Muscle strains or overuse
  • Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
  • Tendonitis
  • IT band syndrome
  • Hip and low back tightness
  • Rotator cuff discomfort
  • Knee and ankle instability
Desk-to-Gym Imbalances:
  • Forward shoulder posture
  • Stiff neck and traps
  • Low back fatigue
  • Glute inhibition

Who Can Benefit?

  • Athletes and active individuals of all ages
  • CrossFitters, weightlifters, runners, and weekend warriors
  • Dancers, performers, and movement artists
  • Desk professionals with active hobbies
  • Anyone who’s tired of muscle tightness holding them back

Our Treatment Approach

Initial Assessment

Every athlete and active individual is unique. Before beginning treatment, we conduct a thorough assessment that includes:

  • Functional movement evaluation to identify restrictions
  • Discussion of your training regimen and recovery practices
  • Analysis of your daily posture and work ergonomics
  • Review of any pain patterns or recurring issues
  • Sport-specific demands and movement requirements

This information helps us understand how your body functions—on the field, in the gym, and in daily life.

Treatment

Based on your assessment, we develop a personalized treatment strategy that may include:

  • Targeted work on primary areas of concern
  • Preventative techniques for vulnerable muscle groups
  • Recovery protocols based on your training schedule
  • Recommendations for self-care between sessions
  • Integration with other therapies if appropriate
Session Experience

During your athletic-focused massage session, you can expect:

  • Brief check-in about current concerns or recent activities
  • Focused work using appropriate techniques for your needs
  • Assessment of tissue response and adjustment as needed
  • Post-treatment stretching and mobility work when beneficial
  • Home care recommendations to extend benefits between sessions

Our clients appreciate that we don’t just treat symptoms—we address underlying movement patterns to create lasting improvement in how you feel and perform.

Techniques & Modalities Used

  • Swedish Massage: Enhances circulation and promotes relaxation for faster recovery.
  • Deep Tissue Massage: Targets deep muscle layers to release chronic tension.
  • Trigger Point Therapy: Applies sustained pressure to reduce knots and restore muscle function.
  • Myofascial Release: Breaks up fascial restrictions for improved mobility.
  • Functional Assessment & Stretching: Evaluates how you move and assists in restoring motion.
  • Hydrotherapy: Warm and/or cold therapy aids healing and recovery by reducing inflammation and improving circulation. 

Meet Our Massage Therapy Team

Andrea Pazda works with clients ages 13 and up, blending advanced deep tissue techniques, cupping therapy, and prenatal care with a therapeutic mindset. Her sessions are tailored to support athletic performance, enhance mobility, and aid in both acute and chronic injury recovery. Whether you’re training hard or returning from a setback, Andrea’s goal is to help you move better, feel stronger, and stay in the game.

Jacqueline Zimmer works with clients ages 12 and older, with specialized training in orthopedic massage, trigger point therapy, deep tissue techniques, and TMJ Dysfunction treatment. She creates targeted recovery plans that reduce pain, improve range of motion, and speed up healing—ideal for athletes working through injuries or anyone maintaining an active lifestyle.

Justin Rochniak works with clients ages 17 and older with a focus on sports recovery, mobility, and performance. He combines deep tissue work, myofascial release, gua sha, and bamboo fusion to release muscle tension, restore movement, and aid in post-workout recovery. Justin’s sessions are designed to keep you moving at your best, whether you’re on the field, in the gym, or hitting personal milestones.

Schedule Your Sports Massage Today

Massage is one of the most effective tools for maintaining an active, pain-free lifestyle. Experience the benefits of athletic or sports massage therapy for yourself—and get back to doing what you love, feeling your best.



Frequently Asked Questions

Sports massage is a targeted approach that focuses on the muscles most used in your sport or activity. It blends techniques to reduce soreness, speed recovery, and improve flexibility. While it can include deep tissue work, it’s not always deep—if you’re looking for firm, sustained pressure, a therapeutic or deep tissue massage may be a better fit. Some also call it athletic massage therapy or athletic-focused bodywork—it’s all about supporting how you move, train, and recover.

Sports massage is designed with active individuals in mind. It incorporates techniques like deep tissue massage, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, and assisted stretching. Unlike relaxation massage, it’s focused on correcting imbalances, relieving overuse injuries, and enhancing performance related to physical activity or training.

Not at all. Sports massage is beneficial for athletes of all levels—whether you’re training for a marathon, playing rec league sports, hitting the gym regularly, or just trying to stay mobile and pain-free. It’s tailored to your lifestyle and activity level, not your competition status.

Definitely not. Sports massage is most effective as proactive care. It helps prevent injuries, maintain healthy tissues, and reduce tension before it becomes a larger issue.

Some deeper work may feel intense, but it should never be painful. Your therapist will adjust pressure to your comfort level. It is common to feel soreness up to a week after a session, however, this may dissipate after several regularly scheduled sessions.

It depends on your training, goals, and recovery needs. Many active clients benefit from sessions weekly or bi-weekly, while others come in monthly for maintenance.

For additional information, please refer to our Patient Information page.

“I have been going to Pinnacle Hill for a few years now for proactive health/maintenance. They have helped me through some tough sports related pains and have had me on the road to success ever since. They spend the time to understand what’s going on and how to address them each appointment and send  training videos for things to work on between visits when necessary. I highly recommend going to Pinnacle Hill.”