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Charles
A. Thomas
Clinic
Associates
News |
| Background
of Sports Massage |
 |
In
the western hemisphere, recorded history dates sports massage
back to the Greeks and the original Olympic games. Hippocrates,
the Greek physician commonly known as the father of physical
medicine, included massage as one of the vital therapies.
In
the eastern hemisphere, sports massage dates back to
the development
of the martial arts. The ancient martial artists had more experience
with injuries than most people, including physicians, and learned
to treat themselves and each other. |
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The
modern history of sports massage started at the 1924 Olympic
Games in Paris. Paavo Nurmi from Finland brought a
personal massage therapist to the running competition and
won 5 gold medals. Nurmi claimed that his training program
included
this special massage treatment.
The
following table contains additional key dates and milestones: |
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Circa
1900 |
Finnish
School of Massage, originating from Swedish
Massage system, develops first system of sports massage. |
| 1924 |
Runner
Paavo Nurmi, the "Flying Finn" from Finland,
wins 5 gold medals at the Olympic Games in Paris. This
includes the 1.5K and 5K titles, in one day, with only
a 30 minute break between events. Nurmi credits special
massage treatment as one of the important components of
his training program. |
| 1924
to 1930 |
Dr.
I.M. Sarkisov-Sirasini formulates basic concepts for Russian
Sports Massage and begins teaching it at the Central Institute
of Physical Therapy in Moscow. |
Circa
1945 |
A
German POW provides massage to Jack Meagher, U.S. professional
athlete and massage therapist. Jack reports "my ability
to move while playing was astounding". (Jack had
already graduated from a school of Swedish Massage, but
had never heard of this technique before.) Jack goes
on
to learn the technique from a German instructor familiar
with the technique. |
| 1950 |
Russian
athletes, competing internationally, get strong support
for sports massage from Soviet government. Extensive research
programs and proven techniques continue to be developed
in Russia today. |
| 1972 |
Lasse
Viren, the other "Flying Finn", sets a world
record time in the 10K and an Olympic record in the 5K
at the Summer Olympics in Munich. Runners learn that Viren
received massage daily. |
| 1980 |
After
30 years of experience with "sports massage",
Jack Meagher writes his classic book, entitled Sportsmassage:
A Complete Program for Increasing Performance and Endurance
in Fifteen Popular Sports. (Book no longer in print.) |
| 1985 |
The American Massage Therapy Association, as part of
a public relations campaign, creates the National
Sports
Massage Team (NSMT), and offers massage at the Boston
Marathon. (NSMT no longer exists.) |
| TODAY |
Yesterday's
buzz word. Relatively few therapists really understand
sports massage. Today's continuing education providers
now prefer the term "orthopedic massage". |
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