21 Best Sports Massage Books

Whether you’re considering a career in sports massage therapy or want to brush up on your existing knowledge, getting your hands on the best sports massage books will benefit you massively.

You’ll explore key topics and nuances of SMT, including the best techniques for massage, patient aftercare, and how best to deal with different clients and issues.

Before we start, aside from checking out our book recommendations below, you can develop your and increase your sports massage therapist career opportunities by enrolling on one of personal trainer courses!

Check out how you can develop your career further with our downloadable course prospectus.

#1 - Sports Massage - By Susan Findlay 

Kickstarting our list of the best sports massage books is Susan Findlay’s Sports Massage. 

Sports Massage is an essential resource for sports massage therapists wanting to hone their skills and techniques to perform the best quality sessions for their clients. 

The book offers detailed discussions of various sports massage applications, including:

• A guide explaining the foundations of sports massage
• Performance-related benefits
• Common environments for sports massage therapists
• Different clientele
• Applications (i.e. pre-, inter-, post-event)

These chapters thoroughly delve into SMT to best inform existing therapists and those considering a career change. 

Findlay discusses various massage strokes for each muscle group, each of which is accompanied by full-colour photos to visually represent how to obtain the correct application. 

She also runs through the ideal client journey including:

• Consultation forms
• How to identify a client’s needs
• Turning this into an effective massage 

This is why we’ve ranked it as top on our list of the best sports massage therapy books, and it’s one we’d highly recommend checking out! 

Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 

Published: 2010

Pages: 176 

Available at: Amazon, WHSmiths, Blackwells

Price: £9.13 Kindle, £23.99 Paperback (Amazon)

#2 - Sports Massage for Injury Care - By Robert McAtee 

Robert McAtee’s Sports Massage for Injury Care explains the most common types of soft tissue injuries in sport. 

He discusses steps of injury and using SMT to help including:

• How to identify if an injury is acute or chronic
• Ways to effectively treat the underlying cause of the injury
• The rehabilitation process
• How to prevent relapse

This is one of the best sports massage therapy books for discovering effective techniques to treat injuries based on clinical research. 

McAtee delves into each treatment protocol with vibrant full-colour photos and informative step-by-step guides.

These are accompanied by McAtee’s previous case studies detailing what techniques were used, duration of recovery, and ways to prevent relapse. 

Sports Massage for Injury Care also offers readers a continuing education exam!

This provides the opportunity for readers to put their knowledge to the test, allowing them to identify where they excel and areas for improvement. 

So, if you're searching for sports massage therapy books that are actively engaging, McAtee’s book is worth considering. 

Amazon Rating: 5/5 

Published: 2019

Pages: 224

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones

Price:  Kindle £27.99, £30.99 Paperback (Amazon)

#3 - Clinical Guide to Musculoskeletal Palpation - By Michael Masaracchio and Chana Frommer 

Next on our list of the best sports massage books is Clinical Guide to Musculoskeletal Palpation.

Masaracchio and Frommer are professors at Long Island University in Brooklyn and have each spent several years practicing physical therapy for various sports associations.

This is one of the best sports massage therapy books since it examines various aspects of anatomical structures in detail, such as:

• Size
• Consistency
• Texture
• Location 
• Tenderness

Inspecting each of these helps sports massage therapists treat injuries and medical conditions.

These topics are clinically oriented and user-friendly as the authors combine clinical practice with real-world experience. 

Masaracchio and Frommer also offer easy-to-follow instructions on all palpation techniques while allowing the reader to grasp the relationships between:

• Anatomical networks
• Soft-tissue structures
• Bone anatomy

While one of the more expensive sports massage therapy books on the market, Clinical Guide to Musculoskeletal Palpation is nevertheless an incredibly valuable resource we’d recommend looking into. 

Amazon Rating: 4.7/5 

Published: 2014

Pages: 360

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwells

Price: £58.29 Paperback (Amazon)

#4 - Understanding Sports Massage, 2nd Ed - By Scott P. Lamp and Patricia J. Benjamin 

This updated and invigorated 2nd Edition provides readers with a deeper understanding of the practical basis and fundamental theory of sports massage therapy. 

The book explains a wealth of massage techniques, each with clear illustrations to describe the following:

• The procedures involved in conducting effective sports massage sessions
• How to determine a client's goal and achieve it 
• How to organise sports massage therapy sessions
• How to choose and apply massaging techniques

This new edition of Understanding Sports Massage offers expanded material throughout such as new sections on:

• Medications
• Joint movements
• Stretching
• Trouble spots
• Specialised massage techniques
• Rehabilitation applications

Obtaining a thorough understanding of each of these can firstly assist therapists how to put theory into practice, and conduct the most effective sessions possible. 

Moreover, it’s equally valuable to those wanting to start a career in sports massage therapy. Having books like these will help you to better understand the fundamentals! 

So, if you’re interested in becoming a sports massage therapist, this text will accommodate you throughout your career and is one of the best sports massage books to invest in.

Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 

Published: 2004

Pages: 168

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwell’s

Price: £15.64 (Kindle), £37.99 Paperback (Blackwell’s)

#5 - Myofascial Release: A Step-by-Step Guide to More Than 60 Techniques - By Ruth Duncan 

This is one of the sports massage therapy books on our list that’s suitable for all levels! It will teach therapists at all stages about massaging disciplines to expand knowledge and practice.

From technique descriptions and their individual applications to client interactions, this guide instructs therapists on crucial aspects of employing myofascial release. 

The book is described as “hands-on”, delving into various applications and disciplines deeply without compromising accessibility.

Myofascial Release does this by including:

• Full-colour photos of how each technique is employed
• Photo index reference tool
• Therapists tips on applying techniques
• Client ‘talk boxes’ detailing real-life interactions
• Q&A sessions to test the readers’ knowledge of the material

This is one of the best books on sports massage as it’s structured similarly to a classroom lesson. 

Duncan functions as the teacher, providing her students with the necessary tools for success, and evaluates this with a short exam at the end. 

Students can see what areas they excel at and where more improvements could be made, thus shaping readers into the best sports massage therapists.

One of the benefits of sports massage therapy is to increase blood flow and lymphatic drainage, all of which myofascial release is designed to do! This is why it’s one of the best sports massage therapy books to invest in as it will inform your practice and add to your niche!

Amazon Rating: 4.7/5 

Published: 2014

Pages: 232

Available at: Amazon, Blackwell’s

Price: £24.57 Paperback (Blackwell’s)

#6 - Assessment and Treatment of Muscle Imbalance  - By Phillip Page 

Page discusses the relationship between postural techniques, functional capabilities, and neurology to teach therapists how this can achieve the following:

• Alleviate chronic musculoskeletal pain
• Promote greater functionality
• Speed up the rehabilitation process through massage

Assessment and Treatment of Muscle Imbalance offers evidence-based explanations of muscle imbalances through various digestible chapters.

Each explores different treatment options and training techniques that are backed up by:

• Case studies
• Statistics
• Page’s own experiences

This is one of the best sports massage therapy books because it’s filled with illustrations, photos, and accessible discussions.

It’s great for anybody wanting to hone and deepen their existing knowledge. “The Janda approach” posited by the book helps achieve good posture amongst other vital things for sports people to be aware of to improve their form and practice!

In fact, The Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Practice’s review of the book states:

“This book provides a lot of useful information that is different from the typical treatment approaches taught in most physical therapy schools [...] it can help give clinicians insights that may help them treat their patients.” 

This is one of the best sports massage books available for you to hone your knowledge as a sports massage therapist and provide your clients with the best quality care. 

Amazon Rating: 4.7/5 

Published: 2009

Pages: 312

Available at: Amazon, Blackwells, Waterstones

Price: £53.40 (Blackwell’s)

#7 - Sports & Remedial Massage Therapy - By Mel Cash

This sports massage book is a #1 bestseller in Massage Therapy books on Amazon. 

It is a reference book on massage as a form of remedial therapy for sporting injuries and sports training. 

Mel Cash covers practical and theoretical notions of sports massage therapy, some of which include:

• How to treat soft tissue injuries
• How to treat more serious injuries
• Guidance on how to work in a support role alongside medical practitioners
• How to provide the best treatment for your clients

The book also covers topics on the psychology of sports massage therapy such as the way the brain deals with sporting injuries and how it reacts with massage therapy as treatment. 

It also has chapters on posture post-injury which can help to support clients on their journey to recovery.

When shopping around for the best sports massage books, reviews from purchasers are likely to influence which you go for. 

Mel Cash’s Sports & Remedial Massage Therapy has been awarded 5-stars by over 80 reviewers who say it’s an excellent source of information that they’d recommend to fellow massage therapists. 

Amazon Rating: 4.7/5 

Published: 1996

Pages: 288

Available at: Amazon, Blackwells, Waterstones

Price: Kindle £5.99, Paperback £12.31 (Amazon)

#8 - Soft Tissue Release: A Practical Handbook for Physical Therapists - Mary Sanderson 

This is Mary Sanderson’s 4th edition of Soft Tissue Release, providing the most up-to-date and relevant information on:

• Fascia
• Anatomical imagery
• Various theories
• Massaging techniques 

Sanderson discusses how soft tissue release (STR) is an effective treatment approach that is designed to be conducted by therapists working in pain, injury, and movement dysfunction. 

The book highlights how STR involves a ‘lock and stretch’ of tissue. 

Sanderson’s elaborate 12-chapter book delves into what the best lock and stretch application is and the best tools and techniques on the approach. 

Furthermore, Soft Tissue Release is a complete reference guide for sports massage students and therapists wanting to understand more about how to harness the power of STR. 

Plus, priced at a modest £12.85, this is one of the cheapest sports massage books on the market that we think will make a nice addition to your collection. 

Amazon Rating: 5/5 

Published: 2021

Pages: 128

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones, WHSmiths 

Price: Paperback £12.85 (Amazon)

#9 - Routledge Handbook of Sports Therapy, Injury Assessment and Rehabilitation - By Keith Ward 

This is one of the most in-depth and rigorous sports massage therapy books available. It’s a foundational text for those studying and/or working in the field of sports therapy as a whole, delving into deep, specific topics throughout. 

The 764-paged guide comprehensively covers the following areas: 

• Sports Injury Aetiology
• Soft Tissue Healing
• Clinical Assessments in Sports Therapy
• Clinical Interventions in Sports Therapy
• Spinal and Peripheral Anatomy, Injury Assessment, and Management
• Pitch-side Trauma Care
• Professionalism and Ethics in Sports Therapy

Each of these sections are partnered with several images, tables, and graphs to ensure readers get the most out of their learning experience and obtain a base understanding of sports therapy.

Whether you’re a first-year undergraduate, considering becoming a sports massage therapist, or wanting a refresher on the basics, this book will most certainly assist you. 

Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 

Published: 2017

Pages: 764

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwells, Routledge

Price: Paperback £37.66 (Amazon)

#10 - The Pocket Atlas of Human Anatomy - By Chris Jarmey 

The Pocket Atlas of Human Anatomy is a pocket-sized reference book for students and practitioners of the following:

• Physical Therapy
• Anatomy
• Massage
• Chiropractics
• Medicine
• Physiotherapy 
• Nursing

While concise, the book is incredibly comprehensive and offers everything one needs to know for the sports massage therapist role. 

There’s a little bit of everything: 

• Anatomical terms
• Tissues
• Bones
• Joints
• The appendicular system
• The musculoskeletal system 

Each of these offers detailed, annotated illustrations to enhance one’s learning experience. 

Plus, its size means it’s perfect for taking on the move whether you’re heading to the library to study for a physical therapy exam, or want to learn how to provide the best sports massage for your clients. 

Whatever your purposes for discovering more about physical anatomy, Chris Jarmey’s pocket-sized guide will be sure to provide some assistance. 

Many reviewers mention the value the handbook has had for revision which is why we consider it to be one of the best sports massage books on offer. 

Amazon Rating: 4.7/5 

Published: 2022

Pages: 232

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwells

Price: Paperback £9.99 (Amazon)

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#11 - Kinesiology for Dummies - By Steve Glass and Brian Hazel 

Kinesiology for Dummies is one of the best sports massage therapy books because there’s plenty of foundational knowledge on movement in general. 

Such topics covered include:

• How physical activity can alleviate chronic illness and disabilities 
• The science behind exercise, sport, and movement
• How to rehabilitate sporting injuries through various sports therapy techniques
• How mind-body connection relate to exercise

Kinesiology for Dummies has amassed over 130 5-star reviews on Amazon, many noting that they’ve benefited from the easy-to-digest information and in-depth imagery. 

If you’re someone who is considering a career change to sports massage therapy, this book is a great place to start and one we’d recommend using to build your knowledge of the topic. 

Amazon Rating: 4.4/5 

Published: 2014

Pages: 384

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwells

Price: Kindle £11.73, Paperback £12.35 (Amazon)

#12 - A Guide to Better Movement - By Todd R. Hargrove 

Todd Hargrove is an athlete, movement therapist, and sports massage therapist whose books predominantly focus on the psychology behind sport-related injuries.

Readers will learn:

• The essential qualities of healthy and efficient movement 
• A close insight into tissue damage and injury rehabilitation
• The science behind mind-body practices

This is a great book for existing and aspiring sports massage therapists to read to learn more about the relationship between sporting injuries and psychology.

It will also help inform you of overtraining symptoms so you can work with your clients to advise your clients and help prevent further or more serious injury. 

The book also offers a range of rehabilitative techniques to help sports massage therapists to help their clients throughout recovery.

Though not directly about sports massage, books like these will help broaden your holistic understanding of injury prevention, human anatomy, and helping clients understand how their bodies work during activity!

All of this will help you provide a more niche and informed service, making you more in demand, and potentially helping to boost your sports massage salary!

Todd Harvgrove’s book has a 4.6 out of 5-star rating, suggesting that this is a great resource for sports therapists who want to assist their clients in experiencing less pain from sporting injuries. 

Amazon Rating: 4.6/5 

Published: 2014

Pages: 306

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones

Price: Kindle £5.09, Paperback £11.85 (Amazon)

#13 - Integrated Sports Massage Therapy: A Comprehensive Handbook - By Anders Jelvéus 

Anders Jelvéus’ Sports Massage Therapy is an evidence-based handbook that offers a plethora of effective sports massage techniques to cover all sports-related situations.

Jelvéus explains concepts with his professional experience. This ensures information is relevant and up-to-date. 

He goes into detail about the following:

Disciplines of manual therapy

• Types of sports massage strokes
• How to differ a massage for pre-event, post-event, and inter-event
• History of sports massage therapy 

Jelvéus also includes a range of labelled images of stretches that sports massage therapists could implement into their practice. 

This is one of the best sports massage therapy books for people of all different stages. Whether you’re aspiring or an existing sports massage therapist this will help enhance your skills and discover new techniques.

Priced at just over £9 for your own physical copy of Integrated Sports Massage Therapy, this is one of the best comprehensive sports massage books that won’t break the bank!

Amazon Rating: 4.6/5 

Published: 2011

Pages: 721 

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones

Price: Kindle £22.39, Paperback £9.15 (Amazon)

#14 - Sports & Exercise Massage: Comprehensive Care for Athletics, Fitness & Rehabilitation - By Sandy Fritz

This is one of the best sports massage therapy books for people with amateur and professional athletes.

It aims to address the challenges of treating those that are involved in:

• Sports
• Rehabilitation
• Physical fitness
• Exercise

This is Fritz's 2nd Edition, which offers a new chapter on important stretches to implement into your repertoire. 

These are presented in the form of full-colour photos along with video explanations that readers can access via Fritz’s website. 

As for the rehabilitative aspect of Sports & Exercise Massage, comprehensive coverage includes:

• How to diagnose an injury
• Different types of injury i.e. sprains, join, wounds 
• Overview of anatomy and physiology
• Therapeutic and rehab techniques that apply to sports massages
• Deep tissue applications

Purchasers of Sports & Exercise Massage mention how valuable it was for helping them pass sports massage therapy courses.

One of the advantages of being a sports massage therapist is working with high calibre clients. This book is the perfect tool for working towards, and revising for, the qualification to get you there!

Amazon Rating: 4.9/5 

Published: 2012

Pages: 472

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwells

Price: Kindle £34.99, Paperback £39.99 (Amazon)

#15 - Deep Tissue Massage - By Jane Johnson 

This is one of the best sports massage books for those who have knowledge of softer massages (i.e Swedish massage) but want to learn about deeper techniques.

Deep Tissue Massage offers 83 safe and effective step-by-step guides, each partnered with coloured photos to best inform readers how to deliver effective sports massages.

The book is organised into body sections such as:

• Arms
• Thighs
• Quads
• Glutes
• Upper back
• Lower back

As well as by patient position. These include:

• Three-quarter lying
• Supine
• Prone
• Seated

Johnson then outlines how to perform the best techniques, strokes, and how to move the client from one position to another. 

It’s also noteworthy that Deep Tissue Massage is written in accessible language making it a great holistic tool that’s easy to understand, no matter where you are in your career.

Johnson explains advanced terminology thoroughly to best inform her reader. This is why we consider this to be one of the best sports massage books available! 

Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 

Published: 2010

Pages: 216

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones, WHSmiths

Price:  Kindle £9.56, £23.99 Paperback (Amazon)

#16 - Sports Massage and Complementary Techniques - By Claudio Zimaglia 

Sports Massage and Complementary Techniques provides a practical and theoretical introduction to basic sports massage manoeuvres. 

Each manoeuvre is accompanied by the following:

• Techniques to perform the movement effectively
• Joint mobilisation 
• How to improve flexibility through myofascial stretching

With that, since Sports Massage and Complementary Techniques is aimed at those starting out, there’s a brief overview of the history of the practice!

The book also delves into aspects of anatomy and physiology, thus providing sports massage therapy newbies with valuable and practical information. 

Author, Claudio Zimaglia, offers 52 video explanations that readers can access via his website to delve into various therapy techniques in more detail.

This is especially useful for more visual learners to take a break from text-heavy sections.

Amazon Rating: N/A

Published: 2018

Pages: 384

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwells

Price: Paperback £39.70 (Amazon)

#17 - Consultation & Appointments Form Organiser for Sports Massage Therapists - By G St George 

If you’re considering becoming a sports massage therapist or have just got your qualification and are wondering what to expect from a sports massage career, this book can most certainly help!

Before you take on a new client, each one will have to fill out a consultation form. There are several reasons for this:

• Helps identify existing clients easily
• Help monitor progress
• Makes maintaining client confidentiality easier
• Identifies new clients’ wants and needs
• Protects you and the client

St George's book offers 54 consultation forms, each with detailed body images for clients to locate their target areas with note sections for them to discuss such issues in-depth. 

It also comes with appointment forms to make tracking your clients’ progress as straightforward as possible. 

You can use these consultation and appointment forms as a template and re-create your own or photocopy additional versions for future clients. 

So, while most of the books on sports massage discussed so far outline massage techniques and theories, having access to consultation and appointment forms is also super important. 

They benefit both you and your client while helping you keep your business organised and structured.

Amazon Rating: 5/5

Published: 2021

Pages: 123

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones

Price: Paperback £7.34, Hardcover £12.50 (Amazon)

#18 - Anatomy & Massage - By Josep Marmol and Artur AJacomet 

Josep Marmol and Artur AJacomet delve into the reasons why using the right sports massage techniques can help the following:

• Regeneration
• Rehabilitation
• Injury prevention

They do this by offering their readers a combination of anatomical drawings and real-life photos to visually represent how massage therapy can aid each of these 3 things. 

Such images are labelled with relevant techniques with text detailing how a sports massage therapist can implement them into their own practice. 

Though a broad tool for massage therapists in general, there’s plenty of industry specific information in this book, making it an indispensable tool for sports massage therapists.

You’ve even got the option to view 21 tutorial videos of the most important massage techniques to take the learning experience to the next level. 

We think that this is one of the best sports massage therapy books for those new to sports therapy who want to obtain relevant information quickly and easily.

Like we said earlier, the more in-depth your knowledge is the more clients you can attract. Whether it’s stretches for runners, and their anatomical effects, or keeping your eye out for doms (delayed onset muscle soreness) in clients, this book will help you!

With the images, step-by-step guides, and video explanations, you have a wealth of opportunities to learn the fundamentals of the practice. 

Amazon Rating: 4.5/5

Published: 2018

Pages: 160

Available at: Amazon, WHSmiths, Blackwells

Price: Paperback £19.95  (Amazon)

#19 - Evidence-based Therapeutic Massage - By Elizabeth A. Holey and Eileen M. Cook 

Evidence-based Therapeutic Massage is a practical clinical guide designed for existing sports massage therapists and students starting out in the field. 

This is the author’s 3rd Edition which offers readers new and improved chapters on the following:

• Massaging athletes with disabilities
• Expanded chapters on relaxation massage
• New case studies to support new research

The authors have also included revised step-by-step guides to make a reader’s experience of implementing techniques even easier. 

Such guides are partnered with real-life and hand-drawn images to enhance the learning experience. 

Though there is a dedicated sports therapy chapter, the holistic information will be incredibly valuable too! 

As well as SMT, being a physiotherapist is one of the highest paying fitness jobs. If you’re interested in this as a career progression, this is one of the best sports massage books to invest in!

Amazon Rating: 3.9/5

Published: 2012

Pages: 618 

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwells

Price: Kindle £25.99, Paperback £39.99  (Amazon)

#20 - Hands on Sports Therapy - By Keith Ward 

Keith Ward’s Hands on Sports Therapy discusses a whole range of subjects in sports massage therapy. 

Readers will be first introduced to chapters on sports massage theory, fitness, and exercise before delving into the following topics:

• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Preparation for therapeutic practice 
• Physical and biomechanical assessment techniques
• Diagnosing and rehabilitating injuries

Reviewers of Keith Ward’s book note how he writes using easy-to-understand language in digestible chapters which makes the learning experience effective and thorough. 

There’s over 200 colour photographs as well as artwork and assessment forms you can print out and use from the book.

Despite its straightforwardness and practical everyday use, it’s in-depth and a great source for beginners and well-established therapists alike.

Amazon Rating: 4.6/5

Published: 2004

Pages: 384

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwells

Price: Paperback £44.99 (Amazon)

#21 - Massage Therapy - By Jessica Thompson 

Jessica Thompson is on a mission to teach others how to harness the full effects of sports massage therapy with her book covering a spectrum of topics. 

For example:

• How to get rid of muscle aches and pains through simple procedures
• How to get your clients working up to full mobility again
• Tips on performing various massage techniques

This is a great tool for sports massage therapists wanting new ways to achieve their clients’ goals straightforwardly. 

Plus, priced at just over £10, this is a great way to get your hands on an informative sports massage guide cheaply. 

There’s plenty in here about the difference between Eastern and Western massage practices which is perfect if you’ve already got, or are interested in getting, a yoga teacher qualification!

The adaptability of this information, and knowledge, is what makes Jessica’s one of the best sports massage therapy books available!

Amazon Rating: 4/5

Published: 2018

Pages: 62

Available at: Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwells

Price: Kindle £2.32, Paperback £10.29 (Amazon)

Before You Go! 

Continue developing your knowledge by enrolling on our Personal Trainer Courses to become the ultimate sports massage therapist who can specialise in other areas of fitness.

You can download our course prospectus and browse through your other options!