Book Recommendations for Massage Therapists
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With over 15 years of clinical experience and extensive study of massage therapy research, I'm committed to creating resources that foster the professional development of massage therapists globally.
Book Recommendations for Massage Therapists
With over 15 years of clinical experience and extensive study of massage therapy research, I'm committed to creating resources that foster the professional development of massage therapists globally. Whether you're a seasoned massage therapist or a curious newcomer, this list is your one-stop shop for massage therapy books. Most of the general reference books should be available for free through your local library.
General Reference Books
Brassett, C. (2018). The Secret Language of Anatomy: An Illustrated Guide to the Origins of Anatomical Terms. North Atlantic Books.
Cervero, F. (2012). Understanding Pain: Exploring The Perception Of Pain. The MIT Press.
Damasio, A. (2026). Natural Intelligence & the Logic of Consciousness. Pantheon.
Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science. Penguin Books.
Hargrove, T. (2014). A Guide to Better Movement: The Science and Practice of Moving with More Skill and Less Pain. Better Movement.
Hargrove, T. (2019). Playing With Movement: How to Explore the Many Dimensions of Physical Health and Performance. Better Movement.
Hayes, B. (2022). Sweat: A History of Exercise. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Lieberman, D. (2021). Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding. Pantheon.
Linden, D. (2015). Touch: The Science of the Hand, Heart, and Mind. Penguin Books.
Mlodinow, L. (2015). The Upright Thinkers: The Human Journey from Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos. Pantheon.
Mlodinow, L. (2022). Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking. Pantheon
Murthy, V. (2020). Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. Harper Wave.
Nisbett, R. (2015). Mindware: Tools for Smart Thinking. Random House Canada.
Pessoa, L. (2022). The Entangled Brain: How Perception, Cognition, and Emotion Are Woven Together. The MIT Press.
Pontzer, H. (2025). Adaptable: How Your Unique Body Really Works and Why Our Biology Unites Us by. Avery.
Seth, A. (2021). Being You: A New Science of Consciousness. Dutton.
Spiegelhalter, D. (2019). The Art of Statistics: Learning from Data. Viking.
Theise, N. (2023). Notes on complexity: A scientific theory of connection, consciousness, and being. Spiegel & Grau LLC.
Technical Books
Agur, A. & Dalley, A. (2020). Grant's Atlas of Anatomy (15th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Andrade, C.K. (2022). Outcome-Based Massage: Across the Continuum of Care (4th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Anjum, R. L., Copeland, S., Rocca E. (2020) Rethinking Causality, Complexity and Evidence for the Unique Patient. Springer Nature.
Ballantyne, J., Fishman, S., Rathmell, J. (2018). Bonica's Management of Pain (5th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Bedford, S. (2022). Sports Performance Massage (1st ed.). Routledge.
Behm, D. (2024). The Science and Physiology of Flexibility and Stretching Implications and Applications in Sport Performance and Health (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Benjamin, P. (2015). The Emergence of the Massage Therapy Profession in North America: A History in Archetypes. Curties-Overzet Publications.
Birch, S. & Ida, J. (1998). Japanese Acupuncture: A Clinical Guide. Paradigm Publications.
Birch, S. (2016). Shonishin: Japanese Pediatric Acupuncture. (2nd ed). Thieme.
Brukner, P. & Khan, K. (2026). Clinical Sports Medicine: Injuries, Vol. 1. (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Brukner, P. & Khan, K. (2019). Clinical Sports Medicine: The Medicine of Exercise, Vol 2. (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Buetow, S. (2020). Rethinking Pain in Person-centred Health Care: Around Recovery. Routledge.
Butler, D. (2000). The Sensitive Nervous System. Rittenhouse Book Distributors.
Calvert, R. (2002). The History of Massage: An Illustrated Survey from around the World. Healing Arts Press.
Cook, C. & Hegedus, E. (2013). Orthopedic Physical Examination Tests (2nd ed.). Pearson.
Donnelly, J., Fernandez de las Penas, C., Finnegan, M., Travell, J. (2019). Travell, Simons and Simons’ Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction (3rd ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Dryden, T. & Moyer, C. (2012). Massage Therapy: Integrating Research and Practice. Human Kinetics.
Erb, M. & Schmid, A. (2021). Integrative Rehabilitation Practice: The Foundations of Whole-Person Care for Health Professionals. Singing Dragon.
Falla, D. (2024). Grieve's Modern Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy (5th ed.). Elsevier.
Fernández-de-las-Peñas, C., Cleland, J., & Dommerholt, J. (2015). Manual therapy for musculoskeletal pain syndromes: An evidence-and clinical-informed approach. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Filshie, J., White, A., & Cummings, M. (Eds.). (2016). Medical acupuncture: a Western scientific approach (2nd ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.
Fitch, P. (2019). Talking Body, Listening Hands: Talking Body Listening Hands: A Guide to Professionalism, Communication and the Therapeutic Relationship (2nd ed.). AC Press.
Fritz, S. & Fritz, L. (2021). Mosby's Fundamentals of Therapeutic Massage (7th ed.). Elsevier Canada.
Gallagher, S., & Barbe, M. (2022). Musculoskeletal Disorders: The Fatigue Failure Mechanism. Wiley.
Grace, S. & Graves, J. (2020). Textbook of Remedial Massage (2nd ed.). Elsevier.
Graham, D. (1884). A Practical Treatise on Massage, Its History, Mode of Application, and Effects. W. Wood & Company.
Hall, J. E. & Hall, M. E. (2020). Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology (15th ed.). Elsevier Canada.
Heck, A. & Sigel, K. (2020). The Assessment Book – A Guide to Orthopedic Physical Assessment (1st ed.). Physiotutors.
Hing, W., Hall, T., Mulligan, B. (2019). The Mulligan Concept of Manual Therapy (2nd ed.). Elsevier.
Hutson, M., & Ward, A. (2015). The Oxford Textbook of Musculoskeletal Medicine (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Jacobs, D. (2016). Dermoneuromodulating. Diane Jacobs.
Jones, M. & Rivett, D. (2019). Clinical Reasoning in Musculoskeletal Practice (2nd ed.). Elsevier.
Keeney-Smith, N., & Ryan, C. (2016). Traumatic Scar Tissue Management: Massage Therapy Principles, Practice and Protocols. Handspring Pub Ltd.
Kellgren, A. (1891). Technic of Ling's system of manual treatment as applicable to surgery and medicine. The University of Edinburgh.
LaPrade, F., & Chahla, J. (2021). Evidence-Based Management of Complex Knee Injuries: Restoring the Anatomy to Achieve Best Outcomes. Elsevier.
Lewis, J., & Fernandez de las Pen, C. (2022). The Shoulder: Theory and Practice. Handspring Publishing.
Liebenson, C. (2020). Rehabilitation of the Spine: A Patient-Centered Approach (3rd ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Lo, V., Stanley-Baker, M., & Yang, D. (2022). Routledge Handbook of Chinese Medicine (1st ed.). Routledge.
Lynch, M., Craig, K., & Peng, P. (2022). Clinical Pain Management: A Practical Guide (2nd ed). Wiley-Blackwell.
Mackinnon, S.E. (2015). Nerve Surgery. Thieme.
Magee, D. (2026). Orthopedic Physical Assessment (8th ed.). Elsevier Canada.
Manske, R., Lehecka, B., Reiman, M., Loudon, J. (2018). Orthopedic Joint Mobilization and Manipulation: An evidence-based approach. Human Kinetics, Inc.
Mathew, B., Courtney, C., Fernandez de las Pen, C. (2022). Hip and Knee Pain Disorders: Integrating Manual Therapy and Exercise. Handspring Publishing.
McGill, S. (2015). Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation (3rd Ed.). Human Kinetics.
McGinnis, P. (2020). Biomechanics of Sport and Exercise (4th ed.). Human Kinetics Pub.
Myers, T. (2020). Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists (4th ed.). Elsevier.
Netter, F. (2022). Atlas of Human Anatomy (8th ed.). Elsevier Canada.
Nordin, M. & Frankel, V. (2021) Basic Biomechanics of the Musculoskeletal System (5th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Ombregt, L. (2013). A System of Orthopaedic Medicine (3rd ed.). Churchill Livingstone.
Ottosson, A. (2025). The Lost Origins of Osteopathy and Chiropractic in European Mechanical Medicine. Taylor & Francis.
Parr, T., Pezzulo, G., Friston, K. (2022). Active Inference: The Free Energy Principle in Mind, Brain, and Behavior. The MIT Press.
Pilat, A. (2022). Myofascial Induction – An anatomical approach to the treatment of fascial dysfunction Volume 1: The Upper Body. Handspring Publishing.
Pilat, A. (2023). Myofascial Induction – An anatomical approach to the treatment of fascial dysfunction Volume 2: The lower body. Handspring Publishing.
Platzer, W. (2022). Color Atlas of Human Anatomy: Vol 1. Locomotor System (8th ed.). Thieme.
Porter, D. & Schon, L. (2020). Baxter's The Foot and Ankle in Sport (3rd ed.) Elsevier.
Porter, S. & Wilson, J. (2021). A Comprehensive Guide to Sports Physiology and Injury Management: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Elsevier.
Pritchard, S. (2015). Tui na: A Manual of Chinese Massage Therapy. Singing Dragon.
Rattray, F., & Ludwig, L. (2000). Rattray’s Clinical Massage Therapy. Talus Inc.
Rigoard, P. (2020). Atlas of Anatomy of the peripheral nerves: The Nerves of the Limbs. Springer.
Salguero, C. P., & Roylance, D. (2011). Encyclopedia of Thai massage: A complete guide to traditional Thai massage therapy and acupressure. Simon and Schuster.
Salvo, S. (2023). Massage Therapy: Principles and Practice (7th ed.). Elsevier Canada.
Saunders, R., Astifidis, R., Burke, S., Higgins, J., McClinton, M., (2015). Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation: A Practical Guide (4th ed.). Elsevier.
Schleip, R. (2022). Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body: The science and clinical applications in manual and movement therapy (2nd ed.). Elsevier.
Schrieber, J. (1887). A Manual of Treatment by Massage and Methodical Muscle Exercise. Lea Brothers & Co.
Schuenke, M., Schulte, E., & Schumacher, U. (2020). Thieme Atlas of Anatomy: General Anatomy and Musculoskeletal System (3rd ed.). Thieme.
Shacklock, M. (2005). Clinical Neurodynamics. Elsevier.
Skirven, T., Osterman, A. L., Fedorczyk, J., Amadio, P., Felder, S., Shin, E. (2021). Rehabilitation of the Hand and Upper Extremity (7th ed.). Elsevier.
Spicher, C. (2020). Atlas of Cutaneous Branch Territories for the Diagnosis of Neuropathic Pain. Springer.
Stecco, C. (2015). The Functional Atlas of the Human Fascial System. Churchill Livingstone.
Sullivan, M. (2017). The Patient as Agent of Health and Health Care: Autonomy in Patient-Centered Care for Chronic Conditions. Oxford University Press.
Trescot, A. (2016). Peripheral Nerve Entrapments: Clinical Diagnosis and Management. Springer.
Utley, J., Mathena, C., Gunaldo, T. (2020). Interprofessional Education and Collaboration: An Evidence-Based Approach to Optimizing Health Care. Human Kinetics, Inc.
van Griensven, H. & Strong, J. (2023). Pain: A textbook for health professionals (3rd ed.) Elsevier.
Vizniak, N. (2021). Evidence-Informed Orthopedic Assessment (7th ed.). Professional Health Systems Inc.
Vizniak, N. (2022). Evidence Informed Massage Therapy: Person-Centred Principles and Best-Practices (3rd ed.). Professional Health Systems Inc.
Vizniak, N. (2021). Muscle Manual (5th ed.). Professional Health Systems Inc.
Walton, D. & Elliott, J. (2020). Musculoskeletal Pain – Assessment, Prediction and Treatment: A pragmatic approach. Handspring Publishing.
Werner, R. (2020). A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology (7th ed.). Books of Discovery.
White, A., Cummings, M., & Filshie, J. (2018). An introduction to western medical acupuncture (2nd ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.
Additional Resources
With over 15 years of clinical experience and extensive study of massage therapy research, I'm committed to creating resources that foster the professional development of massage therapists globally. Whether you're a seasoned massage therapist or a curious newcomer, this massage therapy glossary is here to be your one-stop shop for understanding terms as it relates to massage therapy. Additionally this post highlights a substantial body of evidence supporting the use of massage therapy in alleviating pain and enhancing quality of life across a range of health issues.