What is Sports Massage Therapy?
Sports massage therapy is a targeted approach to muscle and joint care designed to support athletic performance and recovery. It's more focused than a full-body relaxation massage, concentrating on the areas causing you real trouble rather than trying to cover everything at once.
What makes sports massage therapy at Element different from what you've had before:
- Assessment first, always. Every session begins with a movement screen and injury-focused diagnostics. We identify the root cause before treatment begins.
- Muscle work AND joint mobility in one session. Most patients expect muscle work only. They're often surprised to find that joint mobility is built into every visit. That combination is what drives real results.
- Purposeful discomfort. Sports massage can hurt. Patients who've been through it before often tell us they're disappointed if it doesn't. That "hurt so good" sensation is your body responding to real therapeutic work, not a sign something is wrong.
- Homework that actually gets done. Dr. Saberniak gives every patient mobility work to do between sessions. He also knows most people won't do it alone at home. That's exactly why Element's gym is next door.
This Isn't a Spa Massage
If you're looking for soft music and cucumber water, this isn't the place. Sports massage at Element is therapeutic work. It's focused, sometimes uncomfortable, and built around one goal: getting your body to function the way it should so you can keep doing what you love.
Most massage therapists start working the moment you're on the table. At Element, we assess first. Dr. Scott Saberniak identifies what's actually causing your pain or restriction before a hand is laid on you. That's the difference between treating symptoms and treating the problem.
Who This is For
You don't need to be a professional athlete to benefit from sports massage therapy in Brentwood. You need to be someone who uses their body and wants to keep using it.
This page is for the weekend warrior who plays golf Saturday, runs Sunday, and wakes up Monday barely able to move. It's for the runner with IT band issues that won't quit no matter how much stretching you do. It's for the pickleball player with elbow pain that started as an annoyance and is now affecting your game. It's for anyone who has had a relaxation massage before, felt great for a day, and then watched the same problem come right back.
If you know your body well enough to know you need real work done, not pampering, you're in the right place.
Conditions We Commonly Treat
Sports massage therapy at Element is particularly effective for:
- Low back pain — the most common complaint even in highly active patients. Whether it's from sitting, training, or a recurring issue that flares with activity, targeted muscle and joint work can provide meaningful, lasting relief.
- Runner's knee and IT band syndrome — if the outside of your knee hurts after miles start stacking up, this is your page.
- Tennis elbow and pickleball elbow — lateral elbow pain is one of the fastest-growing complaints we see. Pickleball has exploded in popularity and so has elbow pain from it. Sports massage addresses the soft tissue component that rest alone won't fix.
- Hip pain — often connected to mobility restrictions in surrounding joints, not just tight muscles.
- Knee pain — including patellofemoral tracking issues that cause pain around or behind the kneecap with activity.
- Ankle issues — restricted ankle mobility affects everything above it. Addressing it early prevents compensations that travel up the chain.
Not sure if sports massage is right for your specific issue? The assessment will tell us. Book a visit and we'll figure it out together.
Benefits of Sports Massage
Enhanced Performance
Accelerated Recovery
Injury Prevention
What Happens in a Session
Initial Visit (55 mins):
Your first appointment is built around understanding your body before treating it.
- Patient history + injury-focused diagnostics
- Total body movement assessment
- Report of findings
- Hands-on muscle and joint treatment (up to 2 priority regions)
Follow-Up Visits (55 mins):
- Brief re-assessment (5 mins)
- Muscle and joint treatment across up to 3 priority regions (45 mins)
- App-guided mobility and stability coaching (5 mins)
Dr. Scott Saberniak leads all clinical sessions. Meet Dr. Saberniak and the full Element team here.
Beyond the Session
Sports massage therapy works best as part of an ongoing movement practice, not a one-time fix. After your initial treatment plan, many patients transition into our Recovery Subscription to stay on top of their body between bigger issues. For those who want to pair recovery with structured athletic training, our Performance Membership puts the gym and the clinic under the same roof.
If you've been dealing with a specific injury, our Rehab Appointment may be the right starting point before moving into regular sports massage sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can, and that's often a good sign. Sports massage targets tight muscles and restricted joints with purposeful pressure. Patients who have had it before typically expect some discomfort and find it reassuring, not alarming. The intensity is always adjusted to what's appropriate for your condition and goals.
A relaxation massage covers the whole body and focuses on general tension release. Sports massage therapy is targeted, assessment-driven, and built around fixing specific problems. At Element, every session includes joint mobility work alongside muscle treatment, which most massage clinics don't offer.
That depends on your condition and goals. Many patients see meaningful improvement within 2 to 4 sessions. Those managing ongoing training loads often benefit from regular maintenance visits. Dr. Saberniak will outline a clear plan after your first assessment.
