Chapter 18 Athletic/Sports Massage - Vocabulary Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, concepts, and techniques from the Athletic/Sports Massage chapter notes to aid in exam preparation.

Athletic/Sports Massage

Massage techniques based on anatomy, physiology, and conditioning to enhance athletic performance, accelerate recovery, and reduce injury risk.

Adaptive sports massage

Sports massage tailored for athletes with disabilities; techniques are the same but timing and applications may differ to suit needs.

Overload principle

To improve strength or endurance, stresses must exceed the current capacity, prompting adaptation.

Hyperemia

Increased blood flow to tissue, enhancing oxygen/nutrient delivery and waste removal.

Trigger points (active vs latent)

Taut bands in muscle; active trigger points refer pain during activity, latent trigger points hurt only when pressed; deactivated by pressure release.

Cross-fiber friction (transverse friction)

Deep myofascial technique applied perpendicularly to fibers to reduce fibrosis and promote pliable scar tissue.

Deep pressure (ischemic compression)

Firm, sustained pressure used to treat tender points and fascia; aimed at deactivating trigger points.

MET (Muscle Energy Technique)

Active-joint technique using reciprocal inhibition and postisometric relaxation to improve ROM and reduce spasm.

PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation)

Rehabilitation method from neurophysiology used to enhance motor control and ROM; basis for MET concepts.

Myofascial techniques

Techniques addressing fascial restrictions and adhesions to restore tissue mobility.

Lymph massage

Massage to promote lymphatic circulation and reduce edema/swelling.

Pre-event massage

Brief, invigorating massage (10–30 minutes) given near end of warm-up to prepare tissues for performance.

Intra-event massage

Fast-paced massage provided between events to sustain performance without sedating the athlete.

Post-event massage

Massage to flush tissues after activity (15–30 minutes), focusing on rehabilitation and relaxation.

Training massage

Restorative, preventive, and maintenance massage during training to enable higher workload and reduce injury risk.

Rehabilitation or treatment massage

Massage during recovery from injury to reduce swelling, improve ROM, and promote pliable scar tissue.

Stages of healing (acute, subacute, remodeling)

Phases of soft tissue healing: acute/inflammatory, subacute/regenerative, remodeling/maturation.

PRICE

Protect, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation – first-aid protocol for acute injuries.

Tender points

Areas in taut bands or at muscle-tendon junctions that are tender and may require direct pressure release.

Stress points

Attachment-site points around tendons where pressure and cross-fiber friction help reduce adhesions.

Three basic applications of athletic massage

Event massage (pre/intra/post), training massage, and rehabilitation/treatment massage.

Event massage goals (pre-, intra-, post-)

Pre-event: prepare tissues and improve performance; Intra-event: support performance between events; Post-event: aid recovery.

Hypertonicity

Excessively tense muscle tissue that limits ROM and triggers inhibitory patterns; addressed with MET and myofascial work.

Chronic injuries

Slow-developing, recurrent overuse injuries (e.g., tennis elbow, shin splints) treated with cross-fiber friction and myofascial techniques.

Strains vs sprains

Strain = tear of muscle/tendon; Sprain = tear of ligament/joint capsule; graded I–III by severity.

Tender points vs stress points

Tender points are painful knot-like areas in muscles; stress points are attachment-site areas that may require cross-fiber friction.

Fascia

Connective tissue surrounding muscles; forms a web that transmits force and organizes muscle groups.

Endomysium, Perimysium, Epimysium

Layers of connective tissue surrounding muscle fibers (endomysium), fascicles (perimysium), and the whole muscle (epimysium).