One of the more expanding and lucrative fields in massage therapy is sports massage. The specific requirements of an athlete require a specific type of therapy. Sports in America have increasingly become more competitive, intensive and taxing, especially within the amateur ranks. Athletes are demanding anything that will strengthen performance and quicken recovery.
As in most areas of massage therapy knowledge of the muscular and skeletal systems and a sound understanding of anatomy and physiology are prerequisites to sports massage. Athletes who commit to intensive training regimens can strain, overwork and in some cases cause chronic damage to body function. It is necessary that a sports massage therapist understand those injuries inherent to athletes (i.e. soft tissue damage) and the primary systems affected.
In order to limit damage and stress to joints, muscles and tendons sports massage therapists must lessen fiber tension and restore musculo-skeletal balance. By creating this bodily symmetry, a sports massage therapist preempts potential injuries. Specific techniques for sports massage include petrissage, frictions and effleurage.
Petrissage is another term for the kneading of deep tissue and is primarily used to relax and stretch muscles. Frictions is a relatively painful procedure used to separate muscle fibers, breaking down lesions as well as recent scar tissue. Effleurage utilizes stroking movements as in introduction to the aforementioned methods. The technique stimulates blood flow while relaxing the client.
Sports massage should be avoided when athletes suffer acute trauma, especially sprained ligaments and muscle tears, and infectious skin diseases.
Alabama Schools Virginia College* (Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile) - Therapeutic Massage
Arizona Schools Arizona School of Massage Therapy (Phoenix, Tempe) - Professional Massage Therapy Apollo
College* (Mesa, Phoenix, Phoenix
- Westside, Tucson)
- Massage Therapy, Respiratory Therapist, Physical Therapy Technician The
Bryman School* (Phoenix, Tempe)
- Massage Therapy
California Schools the Milan Institute* (Indio, La
Mesa, San
Marcos) - Holistic Health Practitioner, Massage Therapy Everest College* (Alhambra, Anaheim, City of Industry, Gardena, Hayward, Ontario, Reseda, San Bernadino, San Francisco, San Jose, Torrance, Los Angeles, West Los Angeles) - Massage Therapy Career
Networks Institute (Costa
Mesa - Orange County) - Massage Therapy, Personal Fitness Training Clarita
Career College (Canyon
Country, Lancaster)
- Massage Therapy High-Tech
Institute (Sacramento)
- Massage Therapy Institute
for Business and Technology (Santa
Clara) - Massage Therapy Kaplan
College (Vista, Palm Springs, Riverdale)
- Massage Therapy National
Holistic Institute (SF
Bay Area) - Massage Therapist Wyotech (Long
Beach) - Massage Therapy Northwestern
College (Sacramento) - Massage Therapy, Health & Fitness Professional Remington
College (San
Diego) - Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting UEI College (Chula Vista, El Monte, Huntington Park, Ontario, San Bernadino, San Diego, Van Nuys) - Massage Therapy Western Career College* (Fremont, Emeryville, San
Jose, Walnut Creek) - Dental Assisting, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting, Pharmacy
Technician, Biotechnology Lab Tech, and more West
Coast College (Victorville)
- Massage Therapist Western
Career College* (Citrus
Heights, Pleasant
Hill, Sacramento, San
Leandro, Stockton)
- Holistic Health Practitioner, Massage Therapy Western College (Cerritos)
- Massage Therapy
Florida Schools Angley
College (DeLand)
- Therapeutic Massage Florida Career College (Brandon,
Clearwater)
- Professional Therapeutic Massage Everest University* (Brandon/Tampa,
Jacksonville,
Lakeland,
Melbourne,
Orange
Park, North
Orlando, Pinellas,
Pompano
Beach, South
Orlando, Tampa)
- Massage Therapist, High-Tech
Institute (Orlando)
- Massage Therapy Humanities
Center School of Massage Institute of Allied Health (Park)
- Therapeutic Applications of Massage Program Keiser
University* (Daytona
Beach, Fort
Lauderdale, Jacksonville,
Kendall,
Lakeland,
Melbourne,
Orlando,
Pembroke
Pines, Port
St. Lucie, Sarasota,
Tallahassee,
Tampa,
West
Palm Beach) - Allied Health, Massage Therapy, Occupational Therapy Assistant Everest Institute* (Fort
Lauderdale, Hialeah,
Kendall,
Miami)
- Advanced Massage Therapist, Massage Therapy, Patient Care Technician Remington College* (Jacksonville,
Largo,
Tampa)
- Medical Assisting, Massage Therapy, Sanford-Brown Institute* (Tampa,
Ft
Lauderdale, Jacksonville)
- Advanced Massage Therapy
Nebraska Schools Kaplan University (Omaha)
- Medical Assistant, Practical Nursing, Dental Assistant, Massage Therapy
Nevada Schools Career
Education Institute (Henderson)
- Massage Therapy, Medical Administrative Assistant, Medical Assistant Heritage
College (Las
Vegas) - Massage Therapy, Medical Assistant, Medical Insurance Coder and
Biller, Pharmacy Technician High-Tech
Institute (Las
Vegas) - Dental Assistant, Massage Therapy, Medical Assistant, Medical Billing
& Coding, Pharmacy Technician, Surgical Technologist Las Vegas College (Henderson,
Las
Vegas) - Administrative Medical Assistant, Medical Assistant, Medical Insurance
Billing/Coding, Massage Therapy Nevada
Career Academy (Sparks)
- Administrative Medical Assistant, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting, Pharmaceutical
Technician Nevada
Career Institute (Las
Vegas) - Massage Therapy, Medical Assistant, Medical Office Specialist,
Surgical Technology
Nevada School of Massage Therapy (Las
Vegas) - Professional Massage Therapy
New Hampshire Schools Hesser
College* (Portsmouth,
Salem)
- Massage Therapy
New Mexico Schools Apollo
College of New Mexico (Albuquerque)
- Dental Assistant, Massage Therapy, Medical Administrative Assistant, Medical
Assistant, Medical Billing & Coding, Medical Laboratory Technician, Pharmacy
Technician
Ohio Schools Bryman
College (Gahanna)
- Medical Assisting, Massage Therapy
Oregon Schools Ashmead
College (Tigard)
- Massage Therapy, Spa & Aromatherapy Cambridge
College (Beaverton)
- Dental Assistant, Massage Therapy, Medical Assistant, Medical Billing & Coding,
Pharmacy Technician, Surgical Technologist Health
Career Institute (Wilsonville)
- Healthcare Administration, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting, Medical Claims
& Billing, Pharmacy Technician
Pennsylvania Schools Berks
Technical Institute (Wyomissing)
- Medical Assistant Program, Massage Therapy Career Training Academy™* (Monroeville,
New
Kensington, Pittsburgh)
- Advanced Bodyworker, Advanced Medical Coder/Biller, Basic Shiatsu Technician,
Comprehensive Massage Therapist, Medical Biller, Therapeutic Massage Technician,
Swedish Massage Practitioner, Medical Administrative Assistant Center
for Certification and Adult Learning (Pittsburgh)
- Certificate in Therapeutic Massage CLN*
(Altoona,
Mechanicsburg)
- Massage Therapy, Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Medical Billing &
Coding Specialist Lehigh
Valley College (Center
Valley) - Massage Therapy National
Massage Therapy Institute (Philadelphia)
- Massage Therapy Sanford-Brown Institute (Formerly Ultrasound Diagnostic
School) (Philadelphia)
- Medical Assistant, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Non-Invasive Cardiovascular
& Surgical Technology , Massage Therapy
Rhode Island Schools
Medical Assistant / Healthcare Schools in Tennessee: High-Tech
Institute (Memphis,
Nashville)
- Massage Therapy, Medical Assistant
Texas Schools Academy
of Healthcare Professions* (Austin,
Houston
North Loop, Houston
Southwest) - Massage Therapy ATI
Career Training Center* (Dallas,
Hurst)
- , Massage Therapy, Respiratory Therapy Technology Austin
School of Massage (Austin,
College
Station, Corpus
Christi, El
Paso, Killeen,
Lubbock,
Midland,
San
Angelo, San
Antonio, Waco)
- Massage Therapy High-Tech
Institute (Irving)
- Basic Massage Therapy, Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Surgical Technologist National Institute of Technology*
(Austin,
Houston/Bissonnet,
Houston/Galleria,
Houston/Greenspoint,
Houston/Hobby,
San
Antonio) - Massage Therapy, Medical Insurance Billing & Coding, Pharmacy
Technician
Utah Schools
Everest College (Salt
Lake City) - Massage Therapy Provo
College (Provo)
- Physical Therapist Assistant, Therapeutic Massage Technology Utah
Career College (West
Jordan) - Health & Exercise Sciences, Massage Therapy, Medical Assistant,
Nursing, Pharmacy Technology, Veterinary Technician Utah
College of Massage Therapy (Salt
Lake City, Utah
Valley) - Professional Massage Therapy
The majority of massage therapists travel to a client’s location and nearly a third practice out of their own homes. An increasing number of businesses are offering massages on-site for employees. 14% of Fortune 200 companies include massage as part of their employee benefit program.
