Have never had a professional sports massage but I imagine it's a really deep muscle manipulaton which gets the blood circulating around the damaged muscle which helps the healing process. Also in the case of back problems especially, a deep muscle massage can help relax the muscles around the spine & ligaments which tighten up in spasms so fiercely that it's difficult to move without suffering severe pain. I suffer a lot of back problems with prlloonged accompanied muscle spasms and can honestly say that a really deep muscle massage adminstered by my other half really brings a great deal of relief. It also has the added benefit of not pumping the body full of painkillers, which although often necessary in severe pain, only add toxins to the body. If you have the chance to have a professional massage, give it a try.