Course Title
Sports Massage Technique for Athletic Performance and Recovery

Course Duration
6 Hours, 6 CEUs

Course Description
This 6 hour course prepares licensed massage therapists to apply sports massage techniques for performance enhancement, injury prevention, and recovery. The course integrates functional anatomy, biomechanical assessment, tissue loading principles, contraindications, and client positioning. Emphasis is placed on treatment planning for pre event, post event, maintenance, and rehabilitation focused sessions within scope of practice.

Course Objectives

By the end of this 6 hour course, participants will be able to:

1. Explain the physiological effects of sports massage on circulation, neuromuscular activation, fascial mobility, and recovery processes.

2. Differentiate between pre event, post event, maintenance, and rehabilitative sports massage protocols.

3. Conduct a focused musculoskeletal assessment to identify muscle imbalances, movement restrictions, and overuse patterns.

4. Identify absolute and relative contraindications, including acute injury, systemic inflammation, fractures, and suspected vascular compromise.

5. Demonstrate safe and effective client positioning for sports massage, including:
   • Prone positioning for posterior chain treatment
   • Supine positioning for anterior hip, quadriceps, and lower extremity work
   • Side lying positioning for hip and lateral structures
   • Seated positioning for cervical, shoulder, and upper extremity work

6. Apply region specific techniques for the neck, shoulders, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, hips, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and upper extremities.

7. Integrate compression, petrissage, friction, stretching, and joint mobilization within scope of practice to address performance limitations.

8. Modify pressure, tempo, and technique selection based on athletic demands, training cycles, and competition schedules.

9. Incorporate assisted stretching and movement based techniques to enhance flexibility and functional mobility.

10. Develop a structured sports massage treatment plan aligned with the athlete’s goals, sport specific demands, and recovery timeline.

11. Provide clear client education regarding hydration, recovery strategies, self care, and return to activity guidelines.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, participants will demonstrate competency in assessment, positioning, technique application, and performance based treatment planning. Participants will integrate evidence informed sports massage strategies to support mobility, tissue resilience, and recovery while maintaining professional standards and scope of practice.