Understanding Sports Massage

"Massage can enhance athletes' conditioning and performance, reduce injury potential, and aid injury rehabilitation. Understanding Sports Massage offers comprehensive information on how to use massage in any sports setting and focuses on these topics: the theoretical basis for sports massage; various applications of massage for athletes - restorative, event-related, and maintenance; massage and adjunct techniques; the effects of each technique; tips on giving massage; how to plan and give a massage; how to set up a sports massage program; and contraindications and cautions." "Understanding Sports Massage will help athletic trainers, sports physical therapists, massage specialists, and other sports medicine professionals ensure the health and enhance the performance of their athletes."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

On the field, post-event, or in the clinic, Sports Massage is the essential resource for developing and perfecting your sports massage technique! Sports Massage provides an in-depth discussion of applications of foundational massage techniques within a sports massage approach. Thorough instructions and over 130 full-color photos demonstrate the correct application of each massage stroke for muscle groups of the neck, shoulder, torso, pelvis, legs, and feet. You’ll also learn how to use advanced working positions in prone, supine, side-lying, and sitting orientations to address each muscle group, helping you achieve a more comfortable and therapeutic session for your client. This practical guide explains the foundations of sports massage as a profession, including performance-related benefits of sports massage, common environments for professional practice (practice, event, clinical), range of clientele (recreational or serious athletes, physically active people), and applications (pre-, inter-, and post-event, or as part of a training regimen or rehabilitation program). Sports Massage emphasizes proper therapist mechanics, including working posture, proper table height, and effective client positioning to help improve the delivery of your technique and reduce strain to your arms, hands, and back. Highlighted in the text are tips on technique adjustments, and special “Client Talk” boxes offer suggestions for ways to communicate technical information to your clients. Throughout the text, self-test questions with answers allow you to check your understanding and reinforce your learning. In addition, a photo gallery index provides quick reference for checking techniques and their application. Organized for quick reference, Sports Massage explains massage modifications for common injuries and conditions and provides technical information to support your decision-making process. Information regarding contraindications and pathologies will prepare you to adapt your technique to accommodate a wide range of soft tissue conditions. In addition, discussion of equipment, hygiene, and safety considerations will help you be prepared for each therapy session. A discussion of client assessment and consultation will assist you in learning how to obtain the necessary information to address muscular issues during the therapy session. Sports Massage also discusses considerations in administering the technique to special populations, including individuals with spinal cord injuries, limb deficiencies and visual impairments, and cerebral palsy. In addition, you’ll find information on conducting sports massage before, during, and after sporting events. Part science and part art, effective sports massage relies on a therapist’s thoughtful application of knowledge and experience. Sport Massage provides a solid knowledge base, helping you learn how to work with your body efficiently and apply each technique with sensitivity. With its emphasis on correct body mechanics and effective client positioning, Sports Massage will help you improve your technique, reduce strain as you work, and provide a better quality of touch.

Covers the full range of massage techniques, each one illustrated with specially commissioned photographs, and has an anatomy and physiology section explaining the physiological basics behind the techniques used.

Sports Performance Massage instructs the student and practising therapist to use a combination of experience and scientific evidence to inform their sports massage practice, particularly when working with athletic populations. Strength and conditioning coaches, managers and athletes frequently ask questions about the best use of sports massage in order to recover quicker from injury and fatigue and improve performance. Sports Performance Massage empowers the therapist and gives them greater confidence by improving their scientific understanding when working with injured or competitive athletes. The exciting new volume covers all the aspects required to make a highly skilled, confident and employable sports massage therapist. Working with high-level athletes requires an additional skill level compared to working with the general public. Furthermore, advanced massage skills taught in this book, such as soft tissue release and trigger point therapy, are essential when working on muscular adhesions and injured areas. Pregnant athletes, those with disabilities, contraindications and athletes with special requirements have also been considered. Sports Performance Massage is a learning and research aid for those studying vocational sports massage courses as well as those studying other courses where massage forms part of the undergraduate and postgraduate degree, such as sports therapy, sports rehabilitation, osteopathy and physiotherapy. Unlike other sports massage books, Sports performance Massage has a strong academic focus, allowing the graduate therapist to stay up to date with the latest research in their respective field.

Sports Massage for Injury Care explains why manual therapy is so valuable in treating musculoskeletal injuries. It presents injury-specific protocols for treating and preventing recurrence of 20 of the most common neuromuscular injuries seen in athletes.

Integrated Sports Massage Therapy is a highly illustrated evidence-based handbook which presents a wide range of effective sports massage techniques to cover any sports-related situation. Anders Jelveus explains and applies effective techniques from a variety of disciplines of manual therapy, ranging from commonly used sports massage strokes to more advanced concepts for real-life effective sports massage treatments. The presented techniques serve as a great addition for any therapist seeking to work with athletes, and are suitable for pre-event, post-event, inter-event, and in remedial sports massage therapy. This unique book offers a comprehensive presentation of sports massage therapy including: Sports massage history Basic sports massage strokes and work postures Sports massage applications Event-based sports massage treatment guidelines Sports-specific massage treatment recommendations Therapeutic muscle stretching techniques Therapeutic muscle stretching applied to specific muscle groups Positional Release Techniques (PRT) Acupressure and Tui Na techniques with applications Myofascial release techniques Connective tissue massage Lymphatic drainage massage Myofascial Trigger Point etiology and treatment techniques Sports injuries Athletic taping Remedial Sports massage applications Athletic self massage techniques. The book is suitable for all manual therapy students and practitioners, whether novice or advanced, including massage therapists, physical therapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, naprapaths, naturopaths and acupuncturists.

Explore the fascinating world of Reflexology and Therapeutic Massage with the "Complete Course in Reflexology and Therapeutic Massage". This comprehensive book is an open guide to learning essential reflexology and massage techniques, providing an in-depth understanding of fundamental principles and advanced practices. Discover how to relieve stress, promote energy balance and improve physical and mental well-being through proven methods. With step-by-step instructions, clear illustrations, and valuable insights, this course offers an educational journey suitable for beginners and seasoned professionals alike. Learn to identify reflex points, understand related anatomy and physiology, and apply effective massage therapy techniques. This book is an essential tool for anyone looking to improve their therapeutic skills or embark on a promising career in the field of reflexology and massage. Invest in your personal and professional development with the "Complete Course in Reflexology and Therapeutic Massage". Get your copy now and embark on a journey of knowledge and well-being.

In this book, Jim Masterson, Equine Massage Therapist for the 2006 and 2008 and 2010 USET Endurance Teams, and for equine clientele competing in FEI World Cup, Pan American and World Games competitions, teaches a unique method of equine bodywork, in which the practitioner recognizes and follows the responses of the horse to touch to release tension in key junctions of the body that most affect performance.This practical book with step-by-step instructions, photographs and illustrations is ideally suited to accompany you to the yard/stables, where you can practice the Masterson Method techniques on horses. Expanded chapters with Tips & Techniques, anatomical explanations and examples from Jim's practice help deepen your understanding. A 'quick reference' section will point you to exercises that are specifically suited to your particular discipline, may it be dressage, endurance, eventing, or others in the vast realm of horse sports.