The Anatomy and Physiology of Sports Massage

Portia B. Resnick, PhD, ATC, BCTMB, boasts 30 years of experience in the sports medicine field as a board-certified athletic trainer and massage therapist. With a PhD in education with a concentration in kinesiology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, her research delved into the use of heart rate variability as a clinical measure of recovery in NCAA Division I athletes. Having worked as an athletic trainer at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels and as a sole proprietor in therapeutic and sports massage, she currently holds the positions of associate professor and coordinator of clinical education at California State University at Long Beach.

Dr. Resnick has held numerous volunteer and leadership positions in both the athletic training and massage communities. Her current research delves into sports massage, evidence-based practice in massage therapy, and massage ergonomics as part of her work for the Massage Therapy Foundation. She has given numerous presentations on manual therapy, the autonomic nervous system, and sports massage.