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Like playing a musical instrument, sports massage cannot really be learned from books, but a better understanding of how the body works may help the client and certainly is essential for the therapist.
The books recommended on this page are the jewels in my bookshelf that have helped me in my training, the early years of my practice and to which I even regularly return today to brush up on some topics or check new treatments against established practice.
A beautiful little book that describes many major muscles and muscle groups without unnecessary jargon. Its illustrations are clear and simple and it also features a paragraph for each muscle describing the "body language of weakness", i.e. typical problems and their origins.
This perfectly structured muscle atlas is much more comprehensive than Blakey's book and still very accessible. The illustrations are very clear and detailed. The tables list all the origins, insertions and main actions of the muscles. An indispensable tool for the professional and at £9.99 a bargain.
An excellent book about stretching. Up-to-date with the latest research in its brief theoretical introductory section and with detailed explanations and clear photos for each stretch.
While you could use this book on its own, it is a perfect complement to a one-to-one stretching workshop with a highly qualified personal trainer or other stretching specialist. Pilates teachers Charlotte Seirberg and Tiffany Pritchard offer such workshops (30 or 60 minutes) at this clinic.
A comprehensive book that includes chapters on the benefits of sports massage, contraindications, tips on good working posture. The main part of the book consists of extensive coverage of all aspects of treating the various muscle groups with detailed descriptions of techniques and tips on avoiding typical pitfalls as well as numerous background information, which put individual issues into context.
While by far not as varied and detailed as Mel Cash's book on the topic of treating individual muscles, this book gives a good insight into typical dancers' injuries and strategies for their avoidance and treatment. Just like the title by Mel Cash, this is a book written by a practitioner for practitioners.
Massage techniques can achieve fantastic results. Some conditions will need a different approach, though. Thankfully, Soft Tissue Release can deal with many of those very successfully. Mary Sanderson's book is a thoroughly illustrated "bible" on the many applications of this advanced assisted stretching technique, with detailed examples muscle by muscle.
