Breakfast Eating Habits †UK †April 2014 Report by Researchmoz Essay

Operators could look to marketing to reposition breakfast as a way to connect people or to offer a bit of me-time before tackling the day, reminding consumers that, for example, a bowl of porridge or a crumpet with butter is worth savouring. Full Report With TOC @ http://www. researchmoz. us/breakfast-eating-habits-uk-april-2014-report. html Table of Content Introduction Definition Abbreviations Executive Summary. The market Figure 1: UK retail value sales of selected breakfast foods, 2008-18 Market factors Rise in consumer expenditure and confidence Sugar is an ongoing concern Demographic changes are set to impact the breakfast market Companies, brands and innovation Hot cereals see biggest growth in NPD Figure 2: Share of new product launches in typical breakfast food markets, by sub-category, 2011-13 The consumer Almost all adults eat breakfast at home, more than half doing so every day Figure 3: Frequency of eating breakfast, by location, February 2014 Breakfast cereals are most popular at home, hot rolls/sandwiches when out of home Figure 4: Types of breakfast foods eaten at home and out of home, February 2014 Ease of preparation is most important when eating breakfast at home Figure 5: Factors influencing choice of breakfast products at home and out of home, February 2014 Three in 10 tend to eat breakfast with others, while the same number enjoy taking their time Figure 6: Attitudes towards breakfast, February 2014 What we think All Latest Market Research Report @ http://www. researchmoz. us/latest-report. html For More Information Kindly Contact: Email: sales@researchmoz. us WebSite:http://www. researchmoz. us/ Blog: http://industryresearchnews. blogspot. com.

Origin of Science and the Crusade

But when we look at the history of the world Egyptian, Greeks, Roman, Persian, Mongolia, Saracen, British, Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese, Indian and any others had been the super power in different periods of the history. Yet when we talk anybody about a scientific Inventions and discoveries or major leap In the scientific development most tent to point their fingers towards the Europe if It Is before 18th century and towards the USA if it is after 1 9th century. This sort of behavior is deep down in our minds. But is this correct?If so, why the non-European nations were super power? For this I think we have to take a Journey in the history of Science from the early Egyptians. In this short article I would like to take an excursion bout the origins of science, where there the history had been littered with many manipulation and misconception. According to many in the world the science was begun by Greeks and was developed by the post renaissance Europe. As the same time all the great cu ltures like Persian, Egyptian, Chinese and Indian had no clue regarding the science.But when we look at the history of these civilizations we can understand how developed they were in the history. Egyptians were one of the early races before Greeks who were developed in the Science. They were well versed In anatomy (for art), astronomy and astrology, which ere inseparably linked in ancient Egypt, biology and veterinary medicine, chemistry, geography, geology, history, law, geometry, medicine, mineralogy, pedagogy(education), philosophy, physics, sociology and theology [1]. Irrigation scheme of Nile, tall standing pyramids and the mummies are some example of scientific feat of the Egyptians.Geometry was applied in the Egypt for tax purposes before the so called Euclid of Greece wrote the book of The Elements. Here comes another manipulation of History again in the form of Euclid. Many text books refer Euclid was a white male eventually from Greece and ivied in Alexandria around three century B. C. But no such person was alive on this mother earth. The author of this book is a black woman from Alexandria who lived around fifth century C. E. [2] From these arguments we can assure that the Greek were not the first one to begin the Science.Now let's consider the development of Science. If we consider the manipulated version of the science history, we get a wide blank span of time from the Greek civilization to the renaissance Europe. Where were the text and the sources of these scientific theorems and formulae? Were they 2 Origin of Science and the crusades I Mohamed Gammy Shifter_209110164 buried in the Mount Olympus? No. They were translated taken into custody by another civilization which have contributed to the many of the scientific development and not credited to it.Yes it was taken into the custody by Islamic Civilization. They hold these texts of Greek until the crusades [2]. The west claims that the Muslim merely translated the works of Greek and preserved it. They never did develop the ideas in the text. This argument is absurd. The Muslims practically ruled from the shore Atlantic Ocean to the boarders of China. And they Just preserved these texts which cost a fortune with the papyrus technology. Many books from Baghdad Library were destroyed by the invasion of Mongols over Jeremiah on 13th century C. E.But the contributions of All Bin Sins (Vicuà ±a) – whose â€Å"The Book of Healing† was text book for medicine in many medieval universities[3], Legalize Bin al Haitian, Jabber bin Hays, AAA Affair, Muhammad bin Carrying al Razz, Bin al-Naifs were inevitable in the scientific history. All bin Shall Arabian al-Tabor was an Islamic scholar, physician and psychologist of Zoroastrian descent, who produced one of the first encyclopedias of medicine. Even the number system we used today was introduced systems Let's have brief a look on the other civilizations which contributed to the science.Like the crest on the peacocks h ead, like the gem in the cobra's hood, so stands mathematics Oat the head of all the sciences. Vided literature of Indian Culture is replete with concepts of zero, the techniques of algebra and algorithm, square root and cube root. Arguably, the origins of Calculus lie in India 300 years before Leibniz and Newton. Algebraic theories was developed by Rapacity who lived in 5th century C. E. ND another mathematician Backbencher's was the first to was the first to conceive of differential calculus in 12th century. Most of us are familiar with Roman numerals.Think you are sitting in a class doing Calculus using Roman numerals. You are going to write 1788 in Roman numerals it will be ANTICLIMACTIC. You even can't think of doing calculus by using this number system. From this we can conclude that calculus was not developed or used in early Europe. Ancient Indian's development in chemistry was also in a higher level and used in a variety of practical activities. In any early civilization, m etallurgy has remained an activity central to all civilizations from the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, to all other civilizations that followed Indian achieved the higher level of metallurgy.By the side of Stub Minor in New Delhi, there is an iron pillar erected during Array Guppy period around 500 AD. This pillar is 7. 32 meters tall, and has a circumference of 40 CM in the bottom and 30 CM at the top. It has been standing in the open for last 1500 years, withstanding the wind, heat and weather, but still has not rusted, except minor natural erosion. This kind of rust proof iron (steel) was discovered very few decades fore by mixing carbon with iron [4]. 3 In addition, the Chinese Dynasty in the Far East was producing gunpowder, paper and establishing printing presses.Moreover, the Calendar system was introduced by Amman civilization that is very famous for predicting apocalypse of the earth. From the above arguments, one can conclude that science was not only originated from Greece and it originated universally. Then how did the story â€Å"Science was originated in Greece† came into play? Moreover, where was it originated? These questions can be answered in two simple words â€Å"Church† and â€Å"Power†. From the time hen the state and the church merge, Church initiated the program of distorting history to promote its power.This technology of falsehood was now applied to â€Å"manage† common perceptions[5]. During the crusades, church captured many text and tent to use them. But theological aspects would not allow them to use a Muslim knowledge. Therefore, they manipulated their people by saying that the knowledge Arab had was belonged to Greeks. Arabs Just preserved it. This story enabled the universities in Europe to use translated Arabic books without contradicting their theology. But on the Arabs side, it was a different story.They built Batty al Hickman (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad; they gathered knowledge from all over the world, including India, Persia and China. They certainly did not restrict themselves to Greek Arabs only had sources to Greeks. So all the knowledge which was acquired from Batty al Hickman in Baghdad became the Greeks, So did all the scientific inventions and discoveries. This theory is being promoted by many scholars of the present too. Here is an example from Lost in the Cosmos by Walker Percy â€Å". .As Whitehead pointed out, it is no coincidence that science sprang, not from Ionian metaphysics, not from theBrahmins-Buddhist-Taoist East, not from the Exceptionally astrological South, but from the heart of the Christian West, that although Galileo fell out with the Church, he would hardly have taken so much trouble studying Jupiter and dropping objects from towers if the reality and value and order of things had not first been conferred by belief in the Incarnation. † [6]. So anyone from any country has the right to say that their ancestors were also one of the pioneers o f the science. It is time stand up against the â€Å"West only theory'. The Europeans not only colonized our countries but also our education system.They left our countries long ago. Now it is time to decolonize our education system. And the way we think. 4 References [1]Dunn. Ancient Egyptian Science retrieved from http://www. Torturers. Net/ featureless/sciences . HTML [2] Raja, C. K. Euclid and Jesus. Multiversity. [3] http://www. Evangelicalism. Org/ [4] Science, Medicine, Technology in Ancient India retrieved from http:// www. Crystalline. Com/indecencies. HTML [5] Raja, C. K. Is science western in origin?. Multiversity. [6] Percy, W. Lost in the Cosmos retrieved from http://www. Columbia. Deed/cue/Augustine/a/science_origin. HTML 5

Hcs 245 Culture and Disease Paper

Culture and Disease Paper – Malaria Erin E. Nelson HCS 245 September 5, 2011 Andrea Dale Culture and Disease Paper – Malaria It tropical and sub-tropical climates temperature, humidity, and rainfall work together to create a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are a host for communicable diseases one in particular is called malaria. Malaria is a parasitic disease that infects a particular type of mosquito, Anopheles mosquitoes, which feeds on humans. People who get malaria are typically very sick with high fevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness. Although malaria can be a deadly disease, illness and death from malaria can usually be prevented (Global Health – Division of Parasitic Diseases , 2010) Individuals living in climates that support the life cycle of these mosquitoes are more at risk than those who do not. If temperatures fall below 68 degrees Fahrenheit the mosquitoes cannot complete their growth cycle. Africa, parts of South America and Asia have incurred the majority of the malaria epidemic (Global Health – Division of Parasitic Diseases , 2010). I this paper I will cover: populations vulnerable to malaria, factors that make these populations vulnerable, modes of transmission, methods used to control the spread of malaria, the role of social/cultural influences and share community health promotion and wellness strategies. In particular young children and pregnant women are more at risk for contracting malaria. Young children have not built up or acquired immunity to the disease and without immunity infections are more severe and life threatening (The World Health Organization Staff, 2010). More than 40% of the world’s children live in places where malaria is a constant threat. Most children die from malaria because they do not get effective treatment† (Episcopal Relief and Development Staff, 2009). Pregnant women have compromised immune systems due to the pregnancy leaving them at risk. Also individuals suffering from other diseases such as HIV, malnutrition and anemia are vulnerable (Global Health – Divis ion of Parasitic Diseases , 2010). The parasite that causes malaria infects two hosts: the female Anopheles mosquitoes and humans (Global Health – Division of Parasitic Diseases , 2010). The mosquito is essentially unharmed, unscathed, from the parasite but acts as a vector and transmits the disease from human to human each time it feeds. The parasites are found in the mosquitoes’ salivary glands; it injects the saliva when feeding, and passes the parasite on to its â€Å"meal†. While the parasite is in humans it moves through the blood where its transferred to the liver. The parasite makes a home in the human’s liver and in the red blood cells it grows. The life cycle continues in each red blood cell, destroying them and creating daughter parasites (Global Health – Division of Parasitic Diseases , 2010). In order to control the spread of malaria scientists created antibiotics to cure the ailment to help minimize the spread of the disease. Chloroquine was the first antibiotic created by german scientist, Han Andersag, in 1946. A German chemistry student, Othmer Zeidler, synthesized DDT (Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) in 1874 but the insecticide properties were not discovered until 1939 (Global Health – Division of Parasitic Diseases , 2010). It was used by soldiers to keep mosquitoes away so they would not contract typhus and malaria will on the battle field. The CDC (Communicable Disease Center) was created as a new component of the U. S. Public Health Service and has been working to combat Malaria since 1946. The new center was the direct successor of the Office of Malaria Control in War Areas, an agency established in 1942 to limit the impact of malaria and other vector-borne diseases (Global Health – Division of Parasitic Diseases , 2010). Another mode of prevention is proper medication and insecticide while traveling in areas that are highly saturated in mosquitoes and reported cases of malaria. † Every year, millions of US residents travel to countries where malaria is present (Global Health – Division of Parasitic Diseases , 2010). About 1,500 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the United States annually, mostly in returned travelers† (Global Health – Division of Parasitic Diseases , 2010). Malaria risk is not distributed homogeneously throughout all countries. Some destinations have malaria transmission occurring throughout the whole country, while in others it occurs in defined pockets so the traveler should be weary of areas whose climate is conducive to mosquitoes. The WHO Global Malaria Programme is responsible for evidence-based policy and strategy formulation, technical assistance, capacity building, malaria surveillance, onitoring and evaluation, and coordination of global efforts to fight malaria. WHO is also a co-founder and hosts the Roll Back Malaria partnership, which is the global framework to implement coordinated action against malaria (The World Health Organization Staff, 2010). The CDC participates actively in global malaria efforts through work with the WHO, Roll Back Malaria Part ners, UNICEF, and more in the fight to keep the epidemic at bay (Global Health – Division of Parasitic Diseases , 2010). Conclusion Malaria is a very contagious parasite transmitted through mosquitoes to humans. Those at risk are individuals living in areas conducive to the breeding of mosquitoes, especially those that allow the mosquitoes to complete their growth cycle. Everyone is at risk especially with the numbers of travelers increasing the risk of the traveler bringing it home to the states is probable. Preventable measures have been created such as DDT in insect repellant and antibiotics. The epidemic has ceased in the States but continues to be a problem in Africa and Asia. References Episcopal Relief and Development Staff. (2009). Malaria FAQs. Retrieved September 3, 2011, from NETSFORLIFE: http://www. netsforlifeafrica. org/malaria/malaria-faqs Global Health – Division of Parasitic Diseases . (2010, February 28). Malaria. Retrieved September 3, 2011, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www. cdc. gov/malaria/about/disease. html The World Health Organization Staff. (2010, April). Malaria Center. Retrieved September 3, 2011, from World Health Center: http://www. who. int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/index. html

FTA Between Korea and U.S Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

FTA Between Korea and U.S - Research Paper Example   The key proposal of this convention is to double America’s exports in five years under the president’s National Export Initiative. This initiative hopes to double these figures by lowering Korean prices and tariff-rate shares on merchandise only (USTR n.d.). According to the United States International Trade Commission, this decrease alone would contribute between $10 and $12 billion dollars yearly to the American GDP. At the same time, this reduction would contribute $11 billion yearly in goods exports to South Korea. KORUS estimates that more than 95% of the two-sided trade in consumer and manufacturing goods would turn into tariff-free business within half a decade since its approval (Manyin 1). In addition, the agreement would get rid of outstanding duties within a decade. KORUS further proposes the instant removal or phasing out of duties and shares on a wide variety of merchandise. This proposal means that nearly 66%, in terms of value, of South Korea’s farm imports from the United States would turn into tariff-free goods. Other industries that benefit from this drastic reduction in tariffs on American exports are manufacturing, automobile, financial products, and ecological initiatives (TRADE.gov n.d.). The agreement also proposes the opening of South Korea’s $560 billion services market to very competitive American firms. This proposition is geared towards offering employment opportunities for American employees in industries such as distribution, communications, education, and healthcare.

Strategy and Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategy and Operations - Essay Example The operational level deals with production and control, inventory management, material handling, equipment maintenance policies and inspection and quality control. Tactical level deals with plant layout, structuring, equipment selections and replacement and project management. Strategic level deals with fixation of location and size of the manufacturing plants, and also deals with the structure of networking and services and developing technology supply chains (MIT Sloan School of Management, 2010). The operations function of any company moves in the direction on what the company’s business is all about. If the organization is into a manufacturing business, then it’s an operation that produces the products. If the organization is a service provider, then operations offers the services. Operations management involves managing various segments of operations (Krannert School of Management, 2010). The operational management provides the manager with the tools and techniques in performing the operational, tactical and strategic levels of operations in the organization that produces goods and services. Operations management is a vital part of business that deals with the production of goods and services and engages the accountability of certifying the business operations that are effective and efficient. It is the management of resources and the allocation of merchandise and services to consumers (Technology for Future, 2010). This process is popularly used in garages, service shops, furniture restorer, printers that produce tickets for the local social event and includes numerous precision engineers such as specialist tool makers (Slack & Et. Al., 2010). In this process identical units are produced in a group called as batches. The units in one batch may differ significantly with the other batch. Each batch is different from other as the designs are different (Caplan, n.d.). This process is

Legal Immigration in the European Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Legal Immigration in the European Union - Essay Example The European Union has put into place immigration laws that have been approved by member states. With the constant threat of global terrorism member states are constantly on the lookout for possible terrorists that use the immigration laws to their advantage thus putting the population of the member states at risk. This paper explores the legal immigration legislation that the European Union has put into place. 1. Legal immigration as it appears in the European Legislation. The European Union has put into place legislation that attempts to regulate immigration and migration of workers. The economics and demographics of the European Union dictate managed migration. Obviously, the European Union does not want to encourage migration to areas within the Union that are currently economically depressed. It is in the best interest of member states to have immigration and migration managed to provide workers where there is a need for them. Still, with legislation in place, the Union has a problem with illegal migration, smugglers, and traffickers. The migrants seek work while the smugglers and traffickers make money off of the migrants. A. Persons from third countries are permitted entry into the European Union legally under many circumstances. ... It is well understood that the social well being of immigrants allows for social well being of the member states as well. Legal immigration can take the form of family reunification, long term resident status, student visas, and entry to researchers. The European Union also has guidelines, that member states are encouraged to follow, that include integration of immigrants into society, and 'best practices' for integration. The European Union has in place directives that combat illegal immigration, trafficking of illegals, and return of illegals to their country of origin when most practical. B. There are programs in place to assist member states in dealing with immigration issues such as ARGO (action program that assists with immigration issues), and INTI (an EU program that promotes integration of immigrants). C. The European Commission has installed legislation that governs legal immigration. Article 63(3) of the EC Treaty allows the European Union to draft and institute immigration policies that governs issues such as immigration and residency. The Amsterdam Treaty makes immigration an EU problem/responsibility. The Tampere European Council put into place agreements and legislation to consolidate immigration policies. Scoreboard is a program that follows implementation of immigration policies and reports status every six months. Finally, the treaty that created the European Union outlines the role of the European Commission. (EC of Justice and Home Affairs). 2. Discuss the recent legislations from the Amsterdam Treaty to 2007. Following the Maastricht Treaty (1993), which made immigration a common concern in the European Union, came the Amsterdam Treaty (1999) that put into

Article review on war affairs relating to foreign policy

Review on war affairs relating to foreign policy - Article Example This is because of the Budapest Memorandum, as a foreign policy pact for Ukraine to cease the world’s third largest nuclear potential in exchange for peace, but Russia one of the countries that vowed to provide peace is taking it away. Foreign policy development should be in a position to address such backstabbing in future policy agreements. Foreign policy development also hinged on the article’s theory is to ensure the effectiveness of economic sanctions in deterring evil as demonstrated by the inversion of Russia and threat to use nuclear weapons. This is a deviance from previous foreign policy agreements resulting in the need to develop policy to respond to this theoretical issue presented in the article. The other development of foreign policy analysis evident from the theory in the article is the need for the development of proactive and not reactive foreign policies to guard against foreign aggression evidenced by Russia’s inversion of Ukraine. The arguments in the article are persuasive, for example, the argument for the need to prevent the use of nuclear weapons by Russia as this will result in China and Korea following suit. The realization that the agreement for use of nuclear weapons for defensive use only by Russia will make these other countries follow the same to intimidate and pursue their own selfish interests not regarding the impact on other economies. The other argument in the article is breaking of the treaty outlawing the use and testing of cruise and ballistic missiles ranging between 300 and 3400 miles that form the main foundation of the postwar peace. The argument is persuasive because Russia began withdrawing from the treaty t cruise and ballistic missiles of 300 to 3400 ranges showing that the argument holds some ground. The other ground for the argument to be true is that since 2008, Russia has been testing cruise and ballistic missiles of the ranges disallowed by the treaty. I would critic the

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 15

Business - Essay Example We understand that these days multinational companies have a tendency to transfer their manufacturing facilities to third world countries, where working conditions do not always reflect the global principles of human rights. In order to fight the problem of discrimination all of the four businesses of our company - Veolia Water, Veolia Environmental Services, Veolia Energy and Veolia Transport – are promoting diversity at work, as well improving labor relations and fair compensation. A "Diversity Label" award of France we received in 2010 serves us as a signification of the fact that our efforts have brought the desired results. We are eagerly employing and developing careers of women, older people, people with disabilities and people of different ethnical backgrounds (An attractive social policy 2011). Unfortunately, the situation is not similar in all the companies. The famous Wal-Mart case firing a disabled man who had worked for the company for eight years is an example of totally irresponsible treatment of employees (Convey 2011). The company was sued and, as a result, customer loyalty got decreased, respect of stakeholders lost and social disapproval arose. As for promoting greater environmental responsibility, Veolia has developed and is implementing biodiversity and resource conservation and health and living environment protection programs. Veolia Water reduces the waste of water and develops the recycling technologies of water. Veolia Environmental Services focus on reducing the pollutant load of waste and protect environment. Veolia Energy focuses on pollution emission treatment, and Veolia Transport ensures the order of public transport (Business Activities 2011). However, we do understand that, though we take actions for protecting the environment, we should pay more attention to actual promotion of greater environmental responsibility. A good example of

Healthy Grief Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Healthy Grief - Assignment Example In this article, we shall compare and contrast Kubler-Ross’s grief model to the Book of Job which will make us realize how Job is an example of healthy grieving and how the process of coping with grief has been same since centuries. In addition, we shall get to compare the process of coping with grief in two different religions – Christianity and Buddhism – which will teach us that gaining knowledge of a patient’s religious beliefs is relevant for health care provider so as to ensure good service and support to the dying patient and his family. Moreover, in the later paragraphs we shall discover the relationship and interaction between joy and the grief models which will make us realize the fact that joy and grief are not separate rather they are a part of each other. After doing the above researches, I have realized that by developing an understanding of the grieving and coping processes every health care provider can provide comfort and support to the gr ieving family in a better way and also come out of his/her personal grief very swiftly. Grief has been referred to as the comprehensive response to death and losses of all kinds, and includes emotional, psychological, social, as well as physical reactions. Numerous models and theories have been evolved by theorists that explain the process and stages involved in grief. In 1969, a psychiatrist Kubler- Ross had devised a grief model to provide a mean for understanding and coping with dying. The model has five stages: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. According to Ross, these five stages are part of the framework that makes up our learning to live with the one we lost. Her theory on stages of grief established the ground for scholars and others who work with grieving people to examine and to work therapeutically with those who mourn. This theory is formed in a sequential and linear order where one stage swiftly moves into the next stage so that in a healthy grief a person should move from shock and denial to acceptance within a timeframe. However, she added that one may not necessarily go through all the stages or in the prescribed order. The model’s primary motive is to provide knowledge about a grief situation, thereby preparing us to cope with life and loss (Kubler-Ross & Kessler, n.d). Comparison of Kubler-Ross’s Grief model to the Book of Job In the Book of Job, the concise prologue starting the story and the concise epilogue finishing it narrates an extended series of dialogues and monologues describing the nature of and reason for suffering within the book. Most of the five stages of grief described by Kubler-Ross can be seen clearly inside this bible text. The Book of Job is the story of a faithful follower of God, Job who suffers innumerable losses one after the other. First, his wealth is looted by marauding bandits, which is followed by the tragic demise of all his children, all happening on the same day. Soon to add t o his woes, Job is badly affected with horrible boils all over his body (Book of Job 4:14-20). So much loss simultaneously would make survival difficult for any person. According to Dr. Kubler’s grief model, in the first stage, a person should be in shock and enter into some form of denial (Kubler-Ross & Kessler, n.d). However, Job in the biblical text is neither shocked nor does he enters into the denial stage which is in contrast to the grief model. After such losses, perhaps Job was in shock but he resolute by telling

Thinking Book Review Essay Example for Free

Thinking Book Review Essay Book Review:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The chapter speaks about personal barriers and the system of enculturation. Enculturation meaning the way we were raised up by our families, the culture, work and religion affecting us through the way we see things. Importantly, are the factors of acceptance in society and following those norms through your lifestyle.   The things you eat, drink, religious beliefs, violence and discrimination are all generated by enculturation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When people step aside from the conditions of enculturation, they become more aware of the teachings and the ideas of others. It creates a theme of having an open mind and of better understanding. If the individual would step aside from some of the things brought down by family and the environment it would disregard many of the misconceptions being spread and taught. If those who are unable to resist the process of enculturation tend to be fanatics instead of thinking things objectively on different social and ethical concerns. Critical Review:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, the chapter allows one to reflect upon ourselves to see how culture, environment, and family affect us in many different ways. From the ideology to the way we treat people, we see others who think different than us as ignorant or blind but in actuality it is us who categorize and judge others based on our beliefs. Our own egos get in the way of learning and understanding other people or from experiences we would not have if it was not because of our own ideas. In the long run, we have to rationalize and understand that different ideas and personalities are what make us unique and learn to disagree or agree without regarding your personal emotions. We ourselves placed these personal barriers that as time pasts leads us to regret and stress.

Perceived Effectiveness of Sports Massage Therapy

Perceived Effectiveness of Sports Massage Therapy Massage therapy has been used ancient times. There is evidence that the Chinese used therapeutic massage more than 3,000 years ago. Massage has fallen in and out of favour over time. One of the newest forms of massage therapy is sports massage. Famous athletes have publicly expressed their great satisfaction with sports massage. They claim that it has increased their athletic performance and helped speed their recovery after strenuous exercise. Non-professional athletes and their trainers has also become increasingly interested in sports massage, partly because of the acclaim it has received from elite athletes. This has led to even more interest in the therapy by non-athletes. Some of the popularity of sports massage can be attributed to the increasing acceptance of all forms of alternative therapies. Despite all of the intense interest, there is a lack of accurate information about massage. There are many widely held perceptions about the effectiveness of pre-event sports massage, including that it can prevent injury and provide an edge over the competition. However, there is no published research that suggests pre-event massage has a positive impact on performance or injury prevention. There is some evidence that massage after an athletic event can help reduce pain, but the results remain inconclusive. There has also been research that concluded that regular, or maintenance, massages can alleviate some symptoms. In 2004, a research team published A Meta-Analysis of Massage Therapy, which provided comprehensive look at the actual effectiveness of sports massage. Among other findings, they concluded that massage may reduce pain. However, the study debunked many of the widely held perceptions about the effectiveness of sports massage. Massage therapy does seem to have an impressive ability to reduce anxiety and depression. While the exact science behind the benefits sports massage remains elusive, many athletes, coaches, and massage therapists continue to believe that it can have a tremendous positive effect if used both before and after sporting events and during periods of training. Introduction Massage is one of the oldest and widely used therapies in the history of mankind. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines massage as: â€Å"the rubbing or kneading of parts of the body especially to aid circulation, relax the muscles, or provide sensual stimulation.† These benefits have been enjoyed since ancient times and almost all cultures have used some version of therapeutic massage(Vickers, Zelman, 1999). However, in more recent history, massage has become an important tool for athletes. Sports massage is now considered powerful way to help maximize athletic performance (Davidson, 2001). The prevalence of this type of massage has rapidly increased over the last two decades and the perceived effectiveness of sports massages given before and after athletic events has become widespread. Massage may have become more en vogue recently, but it is certainly not new. The first evidence of massage can be seen in the Chinese Cong-Fou, written around 2700 B.C. The text makes references to the manipulation of soft tissue. The ancient Chinese massage techniques involved applying pressure to muscles and meridian points. There is evidence that the ancient Chinese practitioners believed their massage not only relaxed muscles, but also improved the function of internal organs(Calvert, 2001). Ancient Indian texts also described various massage techniques that were believed to promote spiritual and physical healing (Pike, p.viii). Even Hippocrates taught a form of massage to his students around500 B.C. Another famous Greek medical practitioner, Asclepiads, was so impressed by the perceived benefits of massage that the stopped using all other medicines and treatments and only used massage therapy for healing. He believed that massage techniques could increase and restore nutritive fluids (Calvert, 2001). However, over time, Western cultures gradually abandoned the Greek beliefs about massage. During the middle ages, massage was still used as a folk remedy, but established medical scientists discounted it and the use of massage was no longer considered part of regular medical treatment. (Calvert, 2001). About 150 years ago, a French translation of the Cong-Four appeared. Historians believe the text served as the foundation for the development of the now-popular Swedish massage (Davidson, 2001). There is some dispute over the origins of Swedish massage, but many credit Per Hendrix Ling for its development during the early 18th century. Ling promoted the idea that massage could heal the body by boosting circulation of the blood and limp systems. Ling’s massage technique was very vigorous and he prescribed a standardized treatment. He suffered from gout and developed the system to improve his condition and later to help others. He did not equate massage with relaxation or any other psychological benefit. In fact, he called it the â€Å"Swedish Movement Cure† (Cates, 1998). Current Swedish massage has evolved somewhat from Ling’s ideas and is now more gentle, although the focus is still on increasing the flow of oxygen in the blood and to assist the muscles in releasing toxins. In the last few decades, Swedish massage therapists have placed greater emphasis on the psychological benefits of massage and they strive to provide a sense of calmness and well-being.(Vickers, Zelman, 1999) Historically, the interest in massage has been cyclical. Massage fallout of favour, only to once again regain acceptance, many times over the last 500 years. Currently, massage has become far less important tour culture than medical drugs and surgery, but it is again becoming more popular as an alternative therapy (Cates, 1998). There are still many forms of massage found throughout the world, including Hawaiian, deep tissue, and Tue. Na. One of the newest forms of massage is sports massage. Although it is considered a separate form of massage, it shares strong similarities with Swedish Massage and the most of the techniques employed in Swedish massage are used in sports massage(Davidson, 2001). However, sports massage also incorporates Shiatsu massage techniques. Sports massage was largely developed by Jack Meagher. Meagher was the massage therapist for the US Olympic Equestrian Team. He developed sports massage based on the theory that there are a dozen body postures that form the axis of all athletic movement. Meagher said that because each sport requires that the athlete maintain certain postures, it is possible to identify potential overuse injuries before they occur and help prevent them through sports massage. Meagher wrote that athletic performance could be improved by 20% with the introduction of sports massage (Dion, 2001). Although sports massage encompasses many techniques, all sports massages geared toward generating the maximum performance from an athlete. The effects of sports massage are achieved through a combination of mechanical, physiological, and psychological processes. Research has demonstrated that the compression caused by correctly-applied sports massage can improve lymphatic and venous drainage in the body and boost circulation (Hollis, 1997). Under the general heading of sports massage, there are three distinctly different types of massage. Each has a different goal and employs different strokes. The three categories of sports massage are pre-event, post-event, and maintenance massage. Although sports massage has recently become more sophisticated, modern athletics have been using forms of pre-event and post-event massage for decades. For example, baseball pitchers have long used massage as an attempt to extend the length of their career by maintaining range of motion and flexibility. For many decades, boxing coaches and trainers have been seen giving boxers â€Å"rubdowns† before a fight in an effort toward-up the body by boosting circulation. This is an early form fore-event massage (Pike, p.viii). Modern sports massage first became integrated as part some teams ‘standard athletic training in the former Soviet Union, East Germany, and other Eastern European countries during the 1960s. Soviet teams were the first to employ dedicated massage therapists that traveled with them. In the 1970s, the trend became more widespread, as more European countries and teams in the United States began to take interest in sports massage (Davidson, 2001). However, it is only since the 1980s that sports massage has become truly mainstream. Now, it is a common practice for teams to integrate sports massage as part of their standard training regimen. Certified sports massage therapists have been seen at many major sporting events, including Ironman competitions, the Goodwill and Pan-American games, marathons, the Olympics, and professional bike races (Latina, 2000).When the U.S women’s soccer team defeated China, winning the World Cup, the players publicly thanked their sports massage therapist, Wynn Clinton and Jim Fayola. Goalkeeper Tracy Ducat said, â€Å"Clinton and Jim Fayola, who worked with him during the World Cup, were invaluable in the treatment they provided for us, testified Tracy Ducat, a goalkeeper on the team. We could not have been at our best without their help every day. Goalie Saki Webber agreed, saying, Without Clinton I think that it would have been a much different story. I think that he kept us healthy and kept us together during the World Cup† (Hued, 2002). Sports massage has also infiltrated smaller sports. For example, even some Canadian cowboys are receiving massages before and after rodeos, thanks to new mobile massage rooms are traveling with them (Visconti,p.54). Although professional sports teams have lead the way in incorporating sports massage, college, some secondary schools, and amateur teams are also exploring massage as a way to enhance performance. The public’s perceived value of the effectiveness of sports massage has been fuelled by public statements from well-known professional athletes who say their extraordinary skills have improved after undergoing regular massage therapy. For example, tennis champion, Martina Navratilova said, â€Å"I started getting massages and realized what wonderful thing it is for your body† (Sports Massage: Taking the Field ). Former professional football quarterback, Joe Montana, has said, â€Å"I’ve been working with massage for a few years now, and I found it helps you to recover a little quicker. The bumps and bruises seem Togo away a lot faster† (Sports Massage: Taking the Field). Canadian National Swim Team member, Marianne Limpet, agrees: â€Å"I find that massage is very beneficial in helping with a quicker recovery from hard training or racing, and it prevents me from getting tight muscles and injuring myself. I am one of few athletes at my age(30), and Im sure that massage has played a major role in helping to keep my body in shape to continue to this level† (Warren, 2003). Even Marjorie Album, the Chief Athletic Trainer of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, once commented, â€Å"I would not provide sports medicine services for any major athletic event without massage therapists.†(Sports Massage: The Athlete’s Trainer’s Edge ) With glowing testimonials from esteemed athletes and sports professionals, it is not surprising that more amateur and college athletes are now becoming interested in sports massage. After all, our society places great emphasis and value on athletics, and the financial and emotional rewards can be great to those who excel in their chosen sport. It is not surprising that sports massage is popular among those searching for competitive edge. This relatively new appreciation for sports massage has increased as part of a larger trend toward ergogenic aids to boost all types of athletic performance. Ergogenic aids include a wide variety of tools and therapies, such as visualization, meditation, and pre-event stretching. Advocates of sports massage say it is valuable ergogenic tool that can improve circulation, reduce stress, promote muscle efficiency and healing, and even prevent injuries (Pike, p. vii). The perceived benefits of massage have also become more wide-spread as the general acceptance of alternative medicines has increased. In a1997 random sample of 1,500 households in the United States, 42% of adults reported using some type of alternative therapy in the last year. Nearly 45% said they would be willing to pay more each month for alternative care. Additionally, when choosing healthcare, nearly 70% of respondents said having access to alternative therapies is an important factor in choosing a health insurance plan (Landmark Healthcare Inc.,1997). Alternative medicine is even more popular in the United Kingdom, where in studies, nearly 47% of respondents have reported they are using alternative therapies. Also in the U.K., of those undergoing complementary medicine, nearly nine out of ten are paying for their treatment (Thomas et al. p. 2 -11 ). Massage therapy is one of the fasting growing forms of alternative medicine. In 1999, The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA)conducted a nationwide survey in the United States. Researchers found that 27% of adults had therapeutic massage in the last five years, compared to only 17% in a 1997 study who said they had a massage in the previous five years (Massage: Much-Kneaded Complementary Health Care). Another study conducted the previous year found that visits to massage therapists increased by nearly 36% in the years between 1990 and 1997(Eisenberg et al. p. 1569). Furthermore, in 2004, the National Centerior Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States reported that massage has become the ninth most popular alternative therapy treatment. In the study, 5% of respondents said they had received massage therapy at least one time in the previous year (Boneset al.). This translates into big business for the massage industry, as American consumers are spending up to $6 billion dollars a year on massage therapy (Eisenberg et al., p. 1569). This increasing interesting massage has created a surge in massage school educational facilities and applicants. As of 2002, there were more than 950 state-licensed massage schools in the U.S., which is 14% more school than existed in2000. In 2001, massage schools turned out an estimated 30,000 new graduates (Lacombe, p. 49). There are other significant signs that the perceived benefits of massage is having a strong effect on public policy. In the United States, The National Institutes of Health is currently sponsoring three studies in an attempt to clarify the medical benefits of massage. Additionally, a national survey of employer-sponsored healthcare plans found that 15% of HMOs cover massage therapy. Cigna and Blue Cross BlueShield also cover some forms of massage (Lacombe, p. 49).Furthermore, a 1995 study found that more than half of family doctors in the United States said they would recommend some form of massage therapy to their clients (Hedwig, p.1). This is a concern to some researchers who wonder if the benefits of massage are worth the price of the therapy. In their meta-analysis of massage therapy research, Moyer, Rounds, and Hanno wrote, â€Å"For these trends to continue (indeed, to determine if they even should continue),what is needed is a more rigorous and quantitative examination of MT’s(massage therapy’s) effectiveness that that which currently exists†(Moyer et al.). The perceived, yet often unexplained, effects of massage (including sports massage) have even created interested within the White House. In2004, the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy called for more research and funding for public education on massage therapy. The commission’s chairman, James Gordon, did not offer an explanation of the actual benefits of massage, but he did allude to the widespread perceived effectiveness of the alternative treatment. He said: We shouldnt put too much weight on its benefits, but at the same time we should make it available to everyone. Massage does decrease anxiety, reliably. It does decrease pain in a number of people with chronic-pain syndrome. It does improve mood. Exactly how it does it, I don’t think we know (Lacombe, p. 50). AMTA researchers say as more people accept massage therapy as a viable treatment option, more athletes are becoming interested in sports massage. The AMATA now recognizes sports massage as a unique specialty field within the massage industry. There has also been increased interest in sports massage among the so-called â€Å"weekend warriors†(people who only exercise on the weekends) and those do not consider themselves athletes or exercise regularly. No matter how little time they spend taking part in athletics, some people want to enjoy the perceived benefits of sports massage. Licensed massage therapist John Balletto said, â€Å"Anyone who exercises or works in an active job or even has to constantly bend down to pick up a child can benefit from sports massage. This type of massage helps muscles deal with the repetitive motions inherent to these activities (Latina, 2000). In the past, there was a public perception that only elite athletes and wealthy, pampered women received regular massages. As sports massage becomes more mainstream and begins to be embraced by the general public, there is an increased perception that sports massage is not only a luxury, but a new necessity. This trend can be seen in many forms of mainstream media. For example, a college newspaper in Texas, The University Daily, recently ran an article that stated that more financially strained college students were paying for massages as a way to combat stress. It also explained how deep tissue massage can help relieve pain associated with carrying heavy book bags and suggested that students ask their parents to pay for a massage session. A massage therapist in the article was quoted as saying, â€Å"It is very therapeutic. It’s not a luxury like people think. If more people think of it as therapy, then more people could justify it that way (Aaron). However, despite the widespread interest in sports massage, there is a lack of reliable information on its benefits and effects. Using a search engine like Goolgle.com to search under the â€Å"benefits of sports massage† will turn up hundreds of websites offering glowing testimonials about the therapy and claims that are not backed up by current scientific research. For instance, SportsInjuryClinic.net claims that regular sports massage treatments will â€Å"maintain the body, prevent injuries and loss of mobility, cure and restore mobility to injured muscle tissue, boost performance, and extend the overall life of your sporting career† (Sports Injury Clinic). Another website for massage centre in Connecticut bluntly states, â€Å"Massage is beneficial when starting a conditioning program because it helps you get into good shape faster† (Buckland Massage Neuromuscular Centre). With so many websites making fantastic claims about the benefits of sports massage, it is easy to understand why the perceived benefits of sports massage currently held by the general public do not always match current scientific research. As previously mentioned, sports massage is broken down into three main categories: pre-event, post-event, and routine maintenance. Each of these forms of sports massage uses a combination of stroke techniques. In order to understand the research and perceived benefits of sports massage, it is important to understand the various stroke styles. The most common stroke strokes are effleurage, petrissage, and cupping(Davidson, 2001). Other common strokes include friction, range of motion movements, trigger point, and compression (which some massage therapists classify as a type of petrissage) (Pike, p. 26-31). Effleurage utilizes long, gentle strokes. This is the most basic type of stroke and warms the area for the work to come by increasing blood flow to the muscle (Pike, p. 26). This is the main stroke for creating relaxation and is often used most frequently at the start and end of massage therapy session, although it is useful throughout the therapy(Cates, 1998). Petrissage is a firmer, two handed kneading technique that includes blows to the muscle. Both hands grab the muscle and compress it. Massage therapists use petrissage to loosen tight muscles and squeeze blood out from deeper structures (Davidson, 2001). Cupping involves hitting the muscles with cupped hands. This stroke technique is used to break down scar tissue, relieve tension and tone the muscles (Davidson, 2001). Friction strokes are used only during deep tissue massage to relax the muscles and reduce adhesions. These circular strokes generate heat by increasing blood flow to the area being worked on (Pike, p. 32) Range of motion movements are assisted exercises that the massage therapist uses to increase the mobility of joints. The massage therapist moves the body while the athlete stays relaxed. Massage therapists report that this technique can extremely helpful for athletes, who usually need to have the maximum range of movement possible in order to excel at their sport (Pike, p. 34). Trigger points are parts of the muscle that are tight and painful. When massage therapist applies pressure to a trigger point, the athlete will often cry out in pain. Correctly massaging a trigger point will help release tight muscles and â€Å"break the pain cycle so the tissue can get blood and nutrients to heal and relax itself† (Pike, p. 31) Compression strokes are used on muscle bellies, generally in large areas, like the adductors. Massage therapists use compression, which Isa squeezing movement, to feel the tissues under the skin. Compression can stimulate and warm the tissue or relax the athlete, depending on the firmness of the stroke (Pike, p. 30). Many people mistakenly think that sports massage is beneficial because it is somehow â€Å"deeper† than other massages. However, that is not always the case. Sports massage is any massage technique that allows â€Å"active people to stay active, to keep the body in working order, and to aid rehabilitation following injury.. Thus it can also involve gentle rubbing, or even no rubbing at all. In fact, there are times when rubbing may be harmful and in this instance, stretching may be more beneficial† (Famous Therapies). Literature Review Many massage therapists believe that pre-event sports massage can help prevent serious injury by warming-up the muscles and improve performance during a competition. Meagre was strong advocate for-event massages. In his book, Sports massage, he wrote: Whatever sport you play, Sports massage will give you 20 per cent extraextra performance, extra protection, (and) extra time per game, per season, (and) per career.With Sports massage you can do what you do better, longer, and more easily, raising your performance level at the same time that you lower the stress level it places on your body†¦. Sports massage before (problems) reach the critical stage is the only sensible way to keep your entire muscular structure in top form(Massage Before, or After?). Pre-event massage is not intended to replace traditional warm-up methods. It is usually performed just before the athlete’s standard warm-up. Rapid effleurage stimulates and warms the muscles andpetrissage encourages the release of tension. It is common for the massage therapist to use shaking and stretching techniques. Deep tissue and friction are avoided. The part of the body that is massaged depends on the sport, but usually includes leg and back muscles (Davidson,2001). Pre-event massage generally only lasts about ten minutes. The goal Isa reduction in tension, but not total relaxation. Sports massage therapist, James Weslaco, says that most athlete want to feel stimulated, not overly relaxed, by a pre-event massage because being too relaxed can adversely affect performance (Vanderbilt, 2001). â€Å"(Pre-event massage) objectives are to increase circulation, increase range of motion of the joints, decrease tightness and hyper tonicity of major joints and muscles, and to relax and then invigorate the body to get it ready for the competition† (Pike, p. 19) The perceived benefit of fully prepared muscles is important to many athletes, who are well-aware of the many career-ending injuries that have been blamed on not properly warming-up. There is a widely-held belief that overuse injuries can be avoided if the athlete is warmed-up with a combination of massage and standard warm-up practices. However, many studies have suggested that the benefits of pre-event sports massage are mostly psychological and there is no evidence theatre-event massage can decrease the risk of injuries (Harmer, p.55). Some athletes say they perform better on the field after receiving pre-event massage. However, again, the benefits appear to be purely psychological. Research shows that massage, which is part of passive warm-up techniques that can also include saunas and hot showers, have little positive effect on performance (Volant’s, et al., 2001). In one study, members of a group of athletes who received pre-event massage each reported feeling that they could perform better on the field because of the therapy. Yet, their performance, heart rate and arteriovenous oxygen responses were not noticeable different than those of a control group that did not receive massage (Boone, et al., 1991). Although there are many widely embraced perceived benefits to pre-event sports massage, there has not been enough research to back up the antidotal evidence given by athletes and their massage therapists. Some studies have indicated that there can be physiological responses that result in improved outcome for the athlete. However, much of the research has not quantified the technique and pressure used by the massage therapist.. No study to date has examined how stroke forms and pressure (light touch versus firm) as an independent variable can affect athletic performance (Moyer et al.). Even though the benefits of pre-event massage are still unknown, it continues to increase in popularity, not just in athletics but also another performance-driven industries. Robert King, president and-founder of Chicago School of Massage Therapy, says Its a debatable subject in terms of actual research that substantiates it.† Yet, he continues to see the demand for pre-event message grow. Ive worked on runners, actors and actresses before performances, boxers and swimmers, and again it depends on the type of muscle youre going to encounter and the condition and goals of the athlete. The approach is geared toward the needs of that particular event (Vanderbilt, 2001). Unlike pre-event massage, post-event massage may have measurable benefits. Post-event massage is performed one to two hours after the athlete has finished taking part in a sporting event, in order to allow time for blood vessels dilated by exercise to return to their normal state. The goal of this type of massage is to reduce the trauma caused by strenuous exercise. Light effleurage is used to minimize swelling. Practitioners believe light petrissage will promotes cellular waste removal and clear toxins from the body. (Pike, p. 20). â€Å"The goals are to relax tight muscles, decrease muscle soreness, facilitate faster recovery time, relieve cramping, increase lymphatic circulation and removal of post activity metabolites, and relax the nervous system† (Pike, p. 20). Other perceived benefits of post-event massage therapy include the lessening of muscle spasms and an increase in flexibility which may prevent future injuries. Although receiving a massage after a strenuous workout can feel very pleasurable, practitioners should limit sessions to under 30 minutes because tired muscles may be more prone to injury. In fact, some therapists believe that the longer the athletic event is, the shorter the post-event massage should be (Cates, 1998). The perceived effectiveness of post-event massage is pervasive among professional athletes. There is a strong belief that the therapy can speed recovery after extreme exertion. For example, Butch Reynolds, the400 meter world record holder was quoted as saying that because of massage, â€Å"If [a muscle pull or strain] does occur, it’s easy to heal. The healing process is cut in half.† Professional football linebacker Al Smith has also heralded the benefits of post-event massage. He said, â€Å"It helps me quite a bit. It helps my recovery time from the game. Athletes are using it quite a bit.† (Sports Massage: Taking the Field)Perhaps the most famous advocate of post-event massage is Michael Jordan. In talking about his physical problems after a performance, the basketball player said, â€Å"I was a little concerned, because I couldn’t really walk welland my mobility was very, very limited. But two days of electros Tim, massaging and heat treatments really loosened things up (How Massage Aides Athletic Performance). Despite scepticism that massage has physiological benefits, Davidson advocates the use of post-event massage to speed recovery (2001). She writes that sports massage can reduce the swelling of micro-traumas. Micro-traumas are small tears that occur in muscles during strenuous exercise. Davidson claims that post-event massage will also remove lactic acid and waste build-up in the muscles, help maintain flexibility, and reduce cramping. However, while Davidson’s theories may be popular, there are studies that dispute the claims. For instance, the blood pressure, cardiac output, heart rate, and lactic acid levels of ten men were compared during a recent study. Lactic acid is a by-product of exercise that occurs during exercise when there is a lack of oxygen in the body’s tissues. Some massage practitioners have made the claim that massage can help the body eliminate waste products, including lactic acid. However, the men in the study who received massage had similar levels of lactic acid to the men who were not treated with a massage(Callaghan, p. 31). Furthermore, the group that received massages performed no better than the control group. The idea the lactic acid can (and should) be flushed from the body during post-event massage is a good example of how the perceived effectiveness of massage does not always match current scientific research. For many years, massage therapists believed that they could help athletes get rid of lactic acid. They passed this belief onto clients, including many athletes, who accepted the theory as fact. The false assumptions about lactic acid were even taught in massage schools. Even though scientific studies have debunked this belief, many athletes still think they need post-event massage to rid their bodies of lactic acid (Vanderbilt, 2001). Despite the critics, many massage therapists are convinced of the benefits of post-event massage. They say post-event massage can help determine why an athlete did not perform up to expectations. A massage therapist for the Los Angeles Dodgers, William Leisure, said he uses post-event massage in the same way a detective might search for clues. Leisure described his work not only in terms of keeping the players ‘muscles loose and relaxed, but also keeping constant watch on their bodies. Even if someones not injured, if the performance wasnt quite right, I do a palpation to see if any muscles are tight. It has a lot to do with how good your hands are. Your brain and your thumbs have to be as one†¦ Its not just a rub. Its the information I can get from the body and turn it into something else to try to make a cohesive plan. Scanning the tissue and checking for deviations is kind of diagnostic, actually. That helps them to stay at peak performance (Vanderbilt,2001). The third category of sports massage, maintenance, is not administered on days of competition or performance. Instead it is done between events (Pike, p. 21). Usually, maintenance massages are given once week as part of Perceived Effectiveness of Sports Massage Therapy Perceived Effectiveness of Sports Massage Therapy Massage therapy has been used ancient times. There is evidence that the Chinese used therapeutic massage more than 3,000 years ago. Massage has fallen in and out of favour over time. One of the newest forms of massage therapy is sports massage. Famous athletes have publicly expressed their great satisfaction with sports massage. They claim that it has increased their athletic performance and helped speed their recovery after strenuous exercise. Non-professional athletes and their trainers has also become increasingly interested in sports massage, partly because of the acclaim it has received from elite athletes. This has led to even more interest in the therapy by non-athletes. Some of the popularity of sports massage can be attributed to the increasing acceptance of all forms of alternative therapies. Despite all of the intense interest, there is a lack of accurate information about massage. There are many widely held perceptions about the effectiveness of pre-event sports massage, including that it can prevent injury and provide an edge over the competition. However, there is no published research that suggests pre-event massage has a positive impact on performance or injury prevention. There is some evidence that massage after an athletic event can help reduce pain, but the results remain inconclusive. There has also been research that concluded that regular, or maintenance, massages can alleviate some symptoms. In 2004, a research team published A Meta-Analysis of Massage Therapy, which provided comprehensive look at the actual effectiveness of sports massage. Among other findings, they concluded that massage may reduce pain. However, the study debunked many of the widely held perceptions about the effectiveness of sports massage. Massage therapy does seem to have an impressive ability to reduce anxiety and depression. While the exact science behind the benefits sports massage remains elusive, many athletes, coaches, and massage therapists continue to believe that it can have a tremendous positive effect if used both before and after sporting events and during periods of training. Introduction Massage is one of the oldest and widely used therapies in the history of mankind. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines massage as: â€Å"the rubbing or kneading of parts of the body especially to aid circulation, relax the muscles, or provide sensual stimulation.† These benefits have been enjoyed since ancient times and almost all cultures have used some version of therapeutic massage(Vickers, Zelman, 1999). However, in more recent history, massage has become an important tool for athletes. Sports massage is now considered powerful way to help maximize athletic performance (Davidson, 2001). The prevalence of this type of massage has rapidly increased over the last two decades and the perceived effectiveness of sports massages given before and after athletic events has become widespread. Massage may have become more en vogue recently, but it is certainly not new. The first evidence of massage can be seen in the Chinese Cong-Fou, written around 2700 B.C. The text makes references to the manipulation of soft tissue. The ancient Chinese massage techniques involved applying pressure to muscles and meridian points. There is evidence that the ancient Chinese practitioners believed their massage not only relaxed muscles, but also improved the function of internal organs(Calvert, 2001). Ancient Indian texts also described various massage techniques that were believed to promote spiritual and physical healing (Pike, p.viii). Even Hippocrates taught a form of massage to his students around500 B.C. Another famous Greek medical practitioner, Asclepiads, was so impressed by the perceived benefits of massage that the stopped using all other medicines and treatments and only used massage therapy for healing. He believed that massage techniques could increase and restore nutritive fluids (Calvert, 2001). However, over time, Western cultures gradually abandoned the Greek beliefs about massage. During the middle ages, massage was still used as a folk remedy, but established medical scientists discounted it and the use of massage was no longer considered part of regular medical treatment. (Calvert, 2001). About 150 years ago, a French translation of the Cong-Four appeared. Historians believe the text served as the foundation for the development of the now-popular Swedish massage (Davidson, 2001). There is some dispute over the origins of Swedish massage, but many credit Per Hendrix Ling for its development during the early 18th century. Ling promoted the idea that massage could heal the body by boosting circulation of the blood and limp systems. Ling’s massage technique was very vigorous and he prescribed a standardized treatment. He suffered from gout and developed the system to improve his condition and later to help others. He did not equate massage with relaxation or any other psychological benefit. In fact, he called it the â€Å"Swedish Movement Cure† (Cates, 1998). Current Swedish massage has evolved somewhat from Ling’s ideas and is now more gentle, although the focus is still on increasing the flow of oxygen in the blood and to assist the muscles in releasing toxins. In the last few decades, Swedish massage therapists have placed greater emphasis on the psychological benefits of massage and they strive to provide a sense of calmness and well-being.(Vickers, Zelman, 1999) Historically, the interest in massage has been cyclical. Massage fallout of favour, only to once again regain acceptance, many times over the last 500 years. Currently, massage has become far less important tour culture than medical drugs and surgery, but it is again becoming more popular as an alternative therapy (Cates, 1998). There are still many forms of massage found throughout the world, including Hawaiian, deep tissue, and Tue. Na. One of the newest forms of massage is sports massage. Although it is considered a separate form of massage, it shares strong similarities with Swedish Massage and the most of the techniques employed in Swedish massage are used in sports massage(Davidson, 2001). However, sports massage also incorporates Shiatsu massage techniques. Sports massage was largely developed by Jack Meagher. Meagher was the massage therapist for the US Olympic Equestrian Team. He developed sports massage based on the theory that there are a dozen body postures that form the axis of all athletic movement. Meagher said that because each sport requires that the athlete maintain certain postures, it is possible to identify potential overuse injuries before they occur and help prevent them through sports massage. Meagher wrote that athletic performance could be improved by 20% with the introduction of sports massage (Dion, 2001). Although sports massage encompasses many techniques, all sports massages geared toward generating the maximum performance from an athlete. The effects of sports massage are achieved through a combination of mechanical, physiological, and psychological processes. Research has demonstrated that the compression caused by correctly-applied sports massage can improve lymphatic and venous drainage in the body and boost circulation (Hollis, 1997). Under the general heading of sports massage, there are three distinctly different types of massage. Each has a different goal and employs different strokes. The three categories of sports massage are pre-event, post-event, and maintenance massage. Although sports massage has recently become more sophisticated, modern athletics have been using forms of pre-event and post-event massage for decades. For example, baseball pitchers have long used massage as an attempt to extend the length of their career by maintaining range of motion and flexibility. For many decades, boxing coaches and trainers have been seen giving boxers â€Å"rubdowns† before a fight in an effort toward-up the body by boosting circulation. This is an early form fore-event massage (Pike, p.viii). Modern sports massage first became integrated as part some teams ‘standard athletic training in the former Soviet Union, East Germany, and other Eastern European countries during the 1960s. Soviet teams were the first to employ dedicated massage therapists that traveled with them. In the 1970s, the trend became more widespread, as more European countries and teams in the United States began to take interest in sports massage (Davidson, 2001). However, it is only since the 1980s that sports massage has become truly mainstream. Now, it is a common practice for teams to integrate sports massage as part of their standard training regimen. Certified sports massage therapists have been seen at many major sporting events, including Ironman competitions, the Goodwill and Pan-American games, marathons, the Olympics, and professional bike races (Latina, 2000).When the U.S women’s soccer team defeated China, winning the World Cup, the players publicly thanked their sports massage therapist, Wynn Clinton and Jim Fayola. Goalkeeper Tracy Ducat said, â€Å"Clinton and Jim Fayola, who worked with him during the World Cup, were invaluable in the treatment they provided for us, testified Tracy Ducat, a goalkeeper on the team. We could not have been at our best without their help every day. Goalie Saki Webber agreed, saying, Without Clinton I think that it would have been a much different story. I think that he kept us healthy and kept us together during the World Cup† (Hued, 2002). Sports massage has also infiltrated smaller sports. For example, even some Canadian cowboys are receiving massages before and after rodeos, thanks to new mobile massage rooms are traveling with them (Visconti,p.54). Although professional sports teams have lead the way in incorporating sports massage, college, some secondary schools, and amateur teams are also exploring massage as a way to enhance performance. The public’s perceived value of the effectiveness of sports massage has been fuelled by public statements from well-known professional athletes who say their extraordinary skills have improved after undergoing regular massage therapy. For example, tennis champion, Martina Navratilova said, â€Å"I started getting massages and realized what wonderful thing it is for your body† (Sports Massage: Taking the Field ). Former professional football quarterback, Joe Montana, has said, â€Å"I’ve been working with massage for a few years now, and I found it helps you to recover a little quicker. The bumps and bruises seem Togo away a lot faster† (Sports Massage: Taking the Field). Canadian National Swim Team member, Marianne Limpet, agrees: â€Å"I find that massage is very beneficial in helping with a quicker recovery from hard training or racing, and it prevents me from getting tight muscles and injuring myself. I am one of few athletes at my age(30), and Im sure that massage has played a major role in helping to keep my body in shape to continue to this level† (Warren, 2003). Even Marjorie Album, the Chief Athletic Trainer of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, once commented, â€Å"I would not provide sports medicine services for any major athletic event without massage therapists.†(Sports Massage: The Athlete’s Trainer’s Edge ) With glowing testimonials from esteemed athletes and sports professionals, it is not surprising that more amateur and college athletes are now becoming interested in sports massage. After all, our society places great emphasis and value on athletics, and the financial and emotional rewards can be great to those who excel in their chosen sport. It is not surprising that sports massage is popular among those searching for competitive edge. This relatively new appreciation for sports massage has increased as part of a larger trend toward ergogenic aids to boost all types of athletic performance. Ergogenic aids include a wide variety of tools and therapies, such as visualization, meditation, and pre-event stretching. Advocates of sports massage say it is valuable ergogenic tool that can improve circulation, reduce stress, promote muscle efficiency and healing, and even prevent injuries (Pike, p. vii). The perceived benefits of massage have also become more wide-spread as the general acceptance of alternative medicines has increased. In a1997 random sample of 1,500 households in the United States, 42% of adults reported using some type of alternative therapy in the last year. Nearly 45% said they would be willing to pay more each month for alternative care. Additionally, when choosing healthcare, nearly 70% of respondents said having access to alternative therapies is an important factor in choosing a health insurance plan (Landmark Healthcare Inc.,1997). Alternative medicine is even more popular in the United Kingdom, where in studies, nearly 47% of respondents have reported they are using alternative therapies. Also in the U.K., of those undergoing complementary medicine, nearly nine out of ten are paying for their treatment (Thomas et al. p. 2 -11 ). Massage therapy is one of the fasting growing forms of alternative medicine. In 1999, The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA)conducted a nationwide survey in the United States. Researchers found that 27% of adults had therapeutic massage in the last five years, compared to only 17% in a 1997 study who said they had a massage in the previous five years (Massage: Much-Kneaded Complementary Health Care). Another study conducted the previous year found that visits to massage therapists increased by nearly 36% in the years between 1990 and 1997(Eisenberg et al. p. 1569). Furthermore, in 2004, the National Centerior Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States reported that massage has become the ninth most popular alternative therapy treatment. In the study, 5% of respondents said they had received massage therapy at least one time in the previous year (Boneset al.). This translates into big business for the massage industry, as American consumers are spending up to $6 billion dollars a year on massage therapy (Eisenberg et al., p. 1569). This increasing interesting massage has created a surge in massage school educational facilities and applicants. As of 2002, there were more than 950 state-licensed massage schools in the U.S., which is 14% more school than existed in2000. In 2001, massage schools turned out an estimated 30,000 new graduates (Lacombe, p. 49). There are other significant signs that the perceived benefits of massage is having a strong effect on public policy. In the United States, The National Institutes of Health is currently sponsoring three studies in an attempt to clarify the medical benefits of massage. Additionally, a national survey of employer-sponsored healthcare plans found that 15% of HMOs cover massage therapy. Cigna and Blue Cross BlueShield also cover some forms of massage (Lacombe, p. 49).Furthermore, a 1995 study found that more than half of family doctors in the United States said they would recommend some form of massage therapy to their clients (Hedwig, p.1). This is a concern to some researchers who wonder if the benefits of massage are worth the price of the therapy. In their meta-analysis of massage therapy research, Moyer, Rounds, and Hanno wrote, â€Å"For these trends to continue (indeed, to determine if they even should continue),what is needed is a more rigorous and quantitative examination of MT’s(massage therapy’s) effectiveness that that which currently exists†(Moyer et al.). The perceived, yet often unexplained, effects of massage (including sports massage) have even created interested within the White House. In2004, the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy called for more research and funding for public education on massage therapy. The commission’s chairman, James Gordon, did not offer an explanation of the actual benefits of massage, but he did allude to the widespread perceived effectiveness of the alternative treatment. He said: We shouldnt put too much weight on its benefits, but at the same time we should make it available to everyone. Massage does decrease anxiety, reliably. It does decrease pain in a number of people with chronic-pain syndrome. It does improve mood. Exactly how it does it, I don’t think we know (Lacombe, p. 50). AMTA researchers say as more people accept massage therapy as a viable treatment option, more athletes are becoming interested in sports massage. The AMATA now recognizes sports massage as a unique specialty field within the massage industry. There has also been increased interest in sports massage among the so-called â€Å"weekend warriors†(people who only exercise on the weekends) and those do not consider themselves athletes or exercise regularly. No matter how little time they spend taking part in athletics, some people want to enjoy the perceived benefits of sports massage. Licensed massage therapist John Balletto said, â€Å"Anyone who exercises or works in an active job or even has to constantly bend down to pick up a child can benefit from sports massage. This type of massage helps muscles deal with the repetitive motions inherent to these activities (Latina, 2000). In the past, there was a public perception that only elite athletes and wealthy, pampered women received regular massages. As sports massage becomes more mainstream and begins to be embraced by the general public, there is an increased perception that sports massage is not only a luxury, but a new necessity. This trend can be seen in many forms of mainstream media. For example, a college newspaper in Texas, The University Daily, recently ran an article that stated that more financially strained college students were paying for massages as a way to combat stress. It also explained how deep tissue massage can help relieve pain associated with carrying heavy book bags and suggested that students ask their parents to pay for a massage session. A massage therapist in the article was quoted as saying, â€Å"It is very therapeutic. It’s not a luxury like people think. If more people think of it as therapy, then more people could justify it that way (Aaron). However, despite the widespread interest in sports massage, there is a lack of reliable information on its benefits and effects. Using a search engine like Goolgle.com to search under the â€Å"benefits of sports massage† will turn up hundreds of websites offering glowing testimonials about the therapy and claims that are not backed up by current scientific research. For instance, SportsInjuryClinic.net claims that regular sports massage treatments will â€Å"maintain the body, prevent injuries and loss of mobility, cure and restore mobility to injured muscle tissue, boost performance, and extend the overall life of your sporting career† (Sports Injury Clinic). Another website for massage centre in Connecticut bluntly states, â€Å"Massage is beneficial when starting a conditioning program because it helps you get into good shape faster† (Buckland Massage Neuromuscular Centre). With so many websites making fantastic claims about the benefits of sports massage, it is easy to understand why the perceived benefits of sports massage currently held by the general public do not always match current scientific research. As previously mentioned, sports massage is broken down into three main categories: pre-event, post-event, and routine maintenance. Each of these forms of sports massage uses a combination of stroke techniques. In order to understand the research and perceived benefits of sports massage, it is important to understand the various stroke styles. The most common stroke strokes are effleurage, petrissage, and cupping(Davidson, 2001). Other common strokes include friction, range of motion movements, trigger point, and compression (which some massage therapists classify as a type of petrissage) (Pike, p. 26-31). Effleurage utilizes long, gentle strokes. This is the most basic type of stroke and warms the area for the work to come by increasing blood flow to the muscle (Pike, p. 26). This is the main stroke for creating relaxation and is often used most frequently at the start and end of massage therapy session, although it is useful throughout the therapy(Cates, 1998). Petrissage is a firmer, two handed kneading technique that includes blows to the muscle. Both hands grab the muscle and compress it. Massage therapists use petrissage to loosen tight muscles and squeeze blood out from deeper structures (Davidson, 2001). Cupping involves hitting the muscles with cupped hands. This stroke technique is used to break down scar tissue, relieve tension and tone the muscles (Davidson, 2001). Friction strokes are used only during deep tissue massage to relax the muscles and reduce adhesions. These circular strokes generate heat by increasing blood flow to the area being worked on (Pike, p. 32) Range of motion movements are assisted exercises that the massage therapist uses to increase the mobility of joints. The massage therapist moves the body while the athlete stays relaxed. Massage therapists report that this technique can extremely helpful for athletes, who usually need to have the maximum range of movement possible in order to excel at their sport (Pike, p. 34). Trigger points are parts of the muscle that are tight and painful. When massage therapist applies pressure to a trigger point, the athlete will often cry out in pain. Correctly massaging a trigger point will help release tight muscles and â€Å"break the pain cycle so the tissue can get blood and nutrients to heal and relax itself† (Pike, p. 31) Compression strokes are used on muscle bellies, generally in large areas, like the adductors. Massage therapists use compression, which Isa squeezing movement, to feel the tissues under the skin. Compression can stimulate and warm the tissue or relax the athlete, depending on the firmness of the stroke (Pike, p. 30). Many people mistakenly think that sports massage is beneficial because it is somehow â€Å"deeper† than other massages. However, that is not always the case. Sports massage is any massage technique that allows â€Å"active people to stay active, to keep the body in working order, and to aid rehabilitation following injury.. Thus it can also involve gentle rubbing, or even no rubbing at all. In fact, there are times when rubbing may be harmful and in this instance, stretching may be more beneficial† (Famous Therapies). Literature Review Many massage therapists believe that pre-event sports massage can help prevent serious injury by warming-up the muscles and improve performance during a competition. Meagre was strong advocate for-event massages. In his book, Sports massage, he wrote: Whatever sport you play, Sports massage will give you 20 per cent extraextra performance, extra protection, (and) extra time per game, per season, (and) per career.With Sports massage you can do what you do better, longer, and more easily, raising your performance level at the same time that you lower the stress level it places on your body†¦. Sports massage before (problems) reach the critical stage is the only sensible way to keep your entire muscular structure in top form(Massage Before, or After?). Pre-event massage is not intended to replace traditional warm-up methods. It is usually performed just before the athlete’s standard warm-up. Rapid effleurage stimulates and warms the muscles andpetrissage encourages the release of tension. It is common for the massage therapist to use shaking and stretching techniques. Deep tissue and friction are avoided. The part of the body that is massaged depends on the sport, but usually includes leg and back muscles (Davidson,2001). Pre-event massage generally only lasts about ten minutes. The goal Isa reduction in tension, but not total relaxation. Sports massage therapist, James Weslaco, says that most athlete want to feel stimulated, not overly relaxed, by a pre-event massage because being too relaxed can adversely affect performance (Vanderbilt, 2001). â€Å"(Pre-event massage) objectives are to increase circulation, increase range of motion of the joints, decrease tightness and hyper tonicity of major joints and muscles, and to relax and then invigorate the body to get it ready for the competition† (Pike, p. 19) The perceived benefit of fully prepared muscles is important to many athletes, who are well-aware of the many career-ending injuries that have been blamed on not properly warming-up. There is a widely-held belief that overuse injuries can be avoided if the athlete is warmed-up with a combination of massage and standard warm-up practices. However, many studies have suggested that the benefits of pre-event sports massage are mostly psychological and there is no evidence theatre-event massage can decrease the risk of injuries (Harmer, p.55). Some athletes say they perform better on the field after receiving pre-event massage. However, again, the benefits appear to be purely psychological. Research shows that massage, which is part of passive warm-up techniques that can also include saunas and hot showers, have little positive effect on performance (Volant’s, et al., 2001). In one study, members of a group of athletes who received pre-event massage each reported feeling that they could perform better on the field because of the therapy. Yet, their performance, heart rate and arteriovenous oxygen responses were not noticeable different than those of a control group that did not receive massage (Boone, et al., 1991). Although there are many widely embraced perceived benefits to pre-event sports massage, there has not been enough research to back up the antidotal evidence given by athletes and their massage therapists. Some studies have indicated that there can be physiological responses that result in improved outcome for the athlete. However, much of the research has not quantified the technique and pressure used by the massage therapist.. No study to date has examined how stroke forms and pressure (light touch versus firm) as an independent variable can affect athletic performance (Moyer et al.). Even though the benefits of pre-event massage are still unknown, it continues to increase in popularity, not just in athletics but also another performance-driven industries. Robert King, president and-founder of Chicago School of Massage Therapy, says Its a debatable subject in terms of actual research that substantiates it.† Yet, he continues to see the demand for pre-event message grow. Ive worked on runners, actors and actresses before performances, boxers and swimmers, and again it depends on the type of muscle youre going to encounter and the condition and goals of the athlete. The approach is geared toward the needs of that particular event (Vanderbilt, 2001). Unlike pre-event massage, post-event massage may have measurable benefits. Post-event massage is performed one to two hours after the athlete has finished taking part in a sporting event, in order to allow time for blood vessels dilated by exercise to return to their normal state. The goal of this type of massage is to reduce the trauma caused by strenuous exercise. Light effleurage is used to minimize swelling. Practitioners believe light petrissage will promotes cellular waste removal and clear toxins from the body. (Pike, p. 20). â€Å"The goals are to relax tight muscles, decrease muscle soreness, facilitate faster recovery time, relieve cramping, increase lymphatic circulation and removal of post activity metabolites, and relax the nervous system† (Pike, p. 20). Other perceived benefits of post-event massage therapy include the lessening of muscle spasms and an increase in flexibility which may prevent future injuries. Although receiving a massage after a strenuous workout can feel very pleasurable, practitioners should limit sessions to under 30 minutes because tired muscles may be more prone to injury. In fact, some therapists believe that the longer the athletic event is, the shorter the post-event massage should be (Cates, 1998). The perceived effectiveness of post-event massage is pervasive among professional athletes. There is a strong belief that the therapy can speed recovery after extreme exertion. For example, Butch Reynolds, the400 meter world record holder was quoted as saying that because of massage, â€Å"If [a muscle pull or strain] does occur, it’s easy to heal. The healing process is cut in half.† Professional football linebacker Al Smith has also heralded the benefits of post-event massage. He said, â€Å"It helps me quite a bit. It helps my recovery time from the game. Athletes are using it quite a bit.† (Sports Massage: Taking the Field)Perhaps the most famous advocate of post-event massage is Michael Jordan. In talking about his physical problems after a performance, the basketball player said, â€Å"I was a little concerned, because I couldn’t really walk welland my mobility was very, very limited. But two days of electros Tim, massaging and heat treatments really loosened things up (How Massage Aides Athletic Performance). Despite scepticism that massage has physiological benefits, Davidson advocates the use of post-event massage to speed recovery (2001). She writes that sports massage can reduce the swelling of micro-traumas. Micro-traumas are small tears that occur in muscles during strenuous exercise. Davidson claims that post-event massage will also remove lactic acid and waste build-up in the muscles, help maintain flexibility, and reduce cramping. However, while Davidson’s theories may be popular, there are studies that dispute the claims. For instance, the blood pressure, cardiac output, heart rate, and lactic acid levels of ten men were compared during a recent study. Lactic acid is a by-product of exercise that occurs during exercise when there is a lack of oxygen in the body’s tissues. Some massage practitioners have made the claim that massage can help the body eliminate waste products, including lactic acid. However, the men in the study who received massage had similar levels of lactic acid to the men who were not treated with a massage(Callaghan, p. 31). Furthermore, the group that received massages performed no better than the control group. The idea the lactic acid can (and should) be flushed from the body during post-event massage is a good example of how the perceived effectiveness of massage does not always match current scientific research. For many years, massage therapists believed that they could help athletes get rid of lactic acid. They passed this belief onto clients, including many athletes, who accepted the theory as fact. The false assumptions about lactic acid were even taught in massage schools. Even though scientific studies have debunked this belief, many athletes still think they need post-event massage to rid their bodies of lactic acid (Vanderbilt, 2001). Despite the critics, many massage therapists are convinced of the benefits of post-event massage. They say post-event massage can help determine why an athlete did not perform up to expectations. A massage therapist for the Los Angeles Dodgers, William Leisure, said he uses post-event massage in the same way a detective might search for clues. Leisure described his work not only in terms of keeping the players ‘muscles loose and relaxed, but also keeping constant watch on their bodies. Even if someones not injured, if the performance wasnt quite right, I do a palpation to see if any muscles are tight. It has a lot to do with how good your hands are. Your brain and your thumbs have to be as one†¦ Its not just a rub. Its the information I can get from the body and turn it into something else to try to make a cohesive plan. Scanning the tissue and checking for deviations is kind of diagnostic, actually. That helps them to stay at peak performance (Vanderbilt,2001). The third category of sports massage, maintenance, is not administered on days of competition or performance. Instead it is done between events (Pike, p. 21). Usually, maintenance massages are given once week as part of