Understanding Sports Massage [Paperback]

Patricia Benjamin (Author), Scott P. Lamp (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0873229762 | ISBN-13: 978-0873229760 | Publication Date: February 1996

Massage can enhance athletes' conditioning and performance, reduce injury potential and aid injury rehabilitaion. This text offers information on how to use massage in any sports setting and focus 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 set up a sports massage programme; contra-indications and cautions. Featuring more than 60 illustrations of sports massage techniques, the text guides readers through the finer points of planning and giving a massage, including: body mechanics; palpation; technique selection; movement qualitites such as rhythm and pacing; the massage routine.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

With more than 25 years in health, fitness, physical education, coaching, and massage therapy, Patricia Benjamin’s varied background offers her special insight into the benefits of massage for athletes.

Benjamin graduated from the Chicago School of Massage Therapy in 1984. She is a licensed massage therapist in Connecticut and nationally certified in therapeutic massage and bodywork. In 1981 she earned her PhD in recreation and leisure studies from Purdue University.

Benjamin serves as the director of education at the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy. She was the national director of education for the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) from 1989 to 1993 and owned her own massage business from 1986 until 1990. Benjamin was an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the College of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation for seven years. She also taught physical education and coached at the high school level for seven years.

Benjamin is an active member in the AMTA. She lives in Newington, Connecticut, where she enjoys traveling, antiquing, hiking, cycling, and golf.

Scott Lamp has been a massage therapist since 1982 and has worked with athletes at all levels. He was the first massage therapist in the United States to be hired by a Division I college athletic association (University of Florida) to provide an ongoing massage therapy program, and he worked there for eight years.

Lamp is now the owner/director of Southeastern Sports Massage, a sports massage clinic that develops and implements a variety of projects and programs. He also has his own private practice that serves more than 30 clients per week ranging from professional athletes and Olympic gold medalists to weekend warriors and gardeners. In addition, he develops and teaches certification courses for sports massage therapy.

Lamp graduated from the Soma School of Massage in Gainesville, Florida, in 1982 and was licensed by the state of Florida the same year. In 1992 he was nationally certified in therapeutic massage and bodywork. He earned his BS in botany from the University of Florida in 1980.

Lamp is president-elect of the AMTA. In 1991 he was awarded the National Meritorious Award and the Florida Chapter Meritorious Award from the AMTA.

Lamp lives in Gainesville, Florida, and enjoys tennis, travel, and spiritual study.

Product Details

• Paperback: 124 pages
• Publisher: Human Kinetics Publishers (February 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873229762
• ISBN-13: 978-0873229760
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,422,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Second edition is even better!, March 2, 2006

By 

Deborah (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Understanding Sports Massage - 2nd Edition (Paperback)

This is a well written, well organized, attractively designed and comprehensive book on using massage to improve athletic performance. Although it is written for use by sports massage specialists, it is also useful for athletes and coaches. As an amateur athlete and martial arts instructor, it helped me understand when and how to use massage before and after athletic events, and what benefits to realistically expect; when it is not advised; and how to do simple self-massage or partner massage. Fascinating snippets about the history of massage in sports liven it up.
The new, second edition is better organized than the original. It uses photographs instead of drawings to better illustrate massage techniques, includes many new charts and figures, and updated research on the benefits of sports massage. Learning outcomes and study questions for each chapter have been added. Lists of figures, tables, and history briefs make it easier to quickly find information, and the entire book has a more attractive design.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Sports Massage, February 22, 2009

By 

K. Michael Krizek - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Understanding Sports Massage - 2nd Edition (Paperback)

Excellent book for massage therapists and PT's that work with athletic clients. This book is very helpful in the review of specific stretching and massage techniques that are focused on athletic tissue related issues. Your clients will love the results from the techniques that you will learn from this book. It is illustrated very well.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Needs better organization and more pictures of the techniques, November 15, 2009

By 

Ophelia "IloveAnime" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Understanding Sports Massage - 2nd Edition (Paperback)

This book does contain good information but it seems at times disorganized. The chapter that talks about planning the session comes after several chapters of techniques, and learning about the different types of sports massage. Planning a session is crucial so I would imagine that that should come before the other chapters and after the introductory chapter. Also, some techniques were pictures but others were not. Even if it's supposed to be assumed that a person should know all the techniques for massage, the more reference pictures to go by the better. This is still a worthwhile buy, and I plan on keeping my copy ^_^