Sports massage is a form of bodywork geared toward participants in athletics. It is used to help prevent injuries, to prepare the body for athletic activity and maintain it in optimal condition, and to help athletes recover from workouts and injuries. Developed to help with muscle systems used for a particular sport, sports massage uses a variety of approaches to help athletes in training -- before, during, or after sports events. You might use it to promote flexibility and help prevent injuries. Or, it may help muscle strains, aiding healing after a sports injury. 

While the most commonly requested massage is the Swedish variety, deep tissue massages are best for small muscle injuries and chronic muscle problems, but that's not the only way these two versions of massage are different.

Deep tissue massage, as the name would imply, focuses on deeper tissue structures of muscles, and massage therapists apply deep tissue massage will apply a strong, constant pressure against the muscle until it pushes back and relaxes, providing relief to deep areas of tension in specific muscles.