Sports massage therapists generally use a wider range of massage techniques, including effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapotement, and other treatment techniques such as active, passive, and PNF type stretching for the purpose of aiding recovery or treating pathology. A sports massage therapist will manipulate the tissues by breaking down adhesions and scar tissue, which in result reduces inter-muscular friction and decreases the build up of oedema. 

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In general, sports massage therapists will have a deeper understanding of the human anatomy underpinning what they do. It’s worth noting that although a sports massage is never meant to be painful, it can get fairly uncomfortable at times as practitioners hone in on problematic areas.