The History of Sports Massage
Over the years, sports massage therapy has developed into an integral part of maintaining physical health and aiding injury recovery. Having been traced back thousands of years, the prominence of sports massage therapy has only increased with time, therefore demonstrating its importance and effectiveness.
The Origins of Sports Massage Therapy
Some of the earliest demonstrations of treatments similar to sports massage therapy date back to the Roman era. Widely considered the father of sports medicine, Galen, a prominent and influential Roman physician, would advise massage therapy to the gladiators – both before and after exercising, as far back as 150AD.
If the gladiators found it helpful, you will too!
The Development of Sports Massage Therapy
Since Roman times, sports massage therapy has developed extraordinarily, from the techniques practiced to the equipment used. Some key people and moments throughout modern history helped sports massage therapy become what it is today.
It is widely accepted that the beginning of the modern history of sports massage therapy began in 1924 when Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi won 5 gold medals in a single Olympics. After giving major credit to the sports massage therapy treatments provided to him throughout the Olympics, the idea of sports massage started to creep into the mainstream.
Arguably the most pivotal moment in the modern history of sports massage therapy came in the 1950s, from a sports massage pioneer called Jack Meagher. Credited with coining the term “sportsmassage” around that time, Jack Meagher paved the way for modern sports massage therapy by combining several soft tissue applications based on physiology, muscular kinetics, and anatomy.
However, Meagher’s influence does not stop there. In 1980, he released a book titled “Sportsmassage: A Complete Program for Increasing Performance and Endurance in Fifteen Popular Sports”. Still extensively considered the “Bible” of sports massage therapy, this book revolutionised the way people viewed massage.
Finally, in 1985, the American Massage Therapy Association created the National Sports Massage Team (NSMT) and offered sports massage therapy at the Boston Marathon.
From then on, sports massage therapy became a major part of any athlete’s regular routine, to help maintain physical health, prevent injury, and maximise athletic performance.