History of the Soviet Medical and Sports Massage

Onset muscle soreness is not an innocent phenomenon—it is the result of trauma caused by neutrophils.

If this repeated trauma is not prevented after each session of vigorous exercise, Olympians, professional athletes, and even members of the general public who train intensely and push themselves to the limit may, over time, develop significant sports-related injuries.

This can lead to muscular energy imbalance and premature onset of arthritis—often disproportionate to a person's age.

Little to nothing was known in the West about the science-based Medical and Sports Massage protocols developed in the Soviet Union, even though these methods significantly enhanced athletic performance. Large research institutions in the USSR conducted extensive studies on these techniques, but their findings were kept strictly secret, guarded by the powerful Soviet security organization—the KGB.

I hope this overview offers value, sparks curiosity, and encourages thoughtful questions.

From the Author

As a clinician and educator, I’m sharing with you not only my foundational theoretical knowledge, but most importantly, insights gained from 50 years of clinical experience. This includes my personal mastery in performing Medical and Sports Massage. I’ve decided to share the history behind the methods I teach—not only because it’s important to know, but also because it is a fascinating chapter of medical history.

As always, please feel free to post any questions.
Thank you for your interest in reading my writings.
Best wishes,
Boris

Origins and Development

The clinical application of Soviet Medical and Sports Massage was originally developed in the 1930s by Professor Anatoli Sherbak and Dr. Serazini—an internationally recognized pioneer and often referred to as the father of modern sports massage.

In the 1950s, German scientists Drs. Glezer and Dalicho expanded on Sherbak’s segment-reflex massage concepts by creating detailed maps of reflex zone abnormalities. In the 1960s and 1970s, numerous scientists from Soviet bloc countries further developed these ideas, including Professor Dembo, Professor Popilyansky, Dr. Chernich, Professor Kremer, Professor Ivanov (Bulgaria), Professor Anichkin, Professor Belaya, and many others.

Yet, despite these advancements, the protocols remained virtually unknown in the West. Research findings were kept classified by the KGB. This was not an exaggeration—the Committee of Government Security (KGB) was comparable in function to a combination of the FBI and CIA in the United States. But unlike in the U.S., where the average citizen has minimal interaction with these agencies, in the USSR, even a careless word or harmless joke could ruin a career—or worse, land someone in a GULAG.

The control was so extreme that the secrecy surrounding massage protocols was personally overseen by Comrade Suslov, a powerful member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party.

Why All the Secrecy?

The reason for such strict secrecy was tied to Cold War propaganda. The USSR sought to portray itself as a superior society. This included promoting the myth of a “Soviet person” with advanced mental and physical capabilities. Olympic success—particularly in the 1960s to 1980s—was a tool to reinforce this image.

A critical but hidden factor in the long-lasting performance of Soviet athletes (many competed for 10–15 years) was the use of sophisticated pre-event and post-event rehabilitative sports massage, along with carefully designed warm-up protocols that included neuromuscular re-education. These techniques ensured muscle synchronization and joint stability, allowing athletes to perform at their full physiological potential.

This all changed during Gorbachev’s Perestroika and the eventual collapse of the USSR. Once the state stopped funding scientific institutions, decades of advanced knowledge were lost or scattered. Only those who emigrated before or during that time were able to preserve and carry this knowledge forward.

Institution and Military Involvement

The institution where I worked, established in 1963, was part of a military faculty that trained sports instructors. Because of this, it operated as a military P.O. Box and was under strict secrecy. Practitioners, like myself, were obligated to keep the massage protocols confidential, fully aware they were considered secret products of the Communist Party.

While some medical massage protocols—such as those for fibromyalgia, essential hypertension, and others—were available, only the performance-enhancing sports massage protocols were classified. Today, even post-concussion rehabilitation protocols have been published, but back then, we were often told that America had no interest in such protocols due to its pharmaceutical industry dominance.

Attempts to Replicate in the West

Western experts attempted to study massage as a recovery tool, but most concluded that it had little to no impact. Numerous studies from respected institutions and researchers, including:

• Drews et al., 1990
• Cafarelli et al., 1990
• Rodenberg et al., 1994
• Tiidus et al., 1995
• Gupta et al., 1996

…all came to the same conclusion: massage did not significantly improve recovery after intense exercise.

After analyzing these studies, I noticed a common flaw: they did not follow the correct timing protocols. According to Soviet research, massage should begin no earlier than 2 to 2.5 hours after vigorous exercise. The studies listed above ignored this key factor:

The Turning Point: Smith et al., 1994

One study, however, broke the mold. Conducted by a team from North Carolina and Virginia (Smith, L.L. et al., 1994), the authors followed the recommendations of Soviet scientists—and finally demonstrated the true benefits of rehabilitative massage.

Interestingly, I personally know the Soviet scientist who secretly wrote the protocol for Prof. Smith on a scrap of paper in 1993. Even then, there was lingering fear about disclosure.

Their study evaluated the effects of massage on:

• Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
• Creatine Kinase (CK) levels (an enzyme indicating muscle damage)
• Neutrophil counts (white blood cells involved in inflammation)

Their findings were groundbreaking. They observed a temporary reduction in neutrophils, reduced CK levels, and less inflammation in muscle tissue—validating the Soviet approach. Their conclusion:

“Sports massage rendered hours after termination of unaccustomed eccentric exercise reduces the intensity of delayed onset muscle soreness and reduces serum creatine kinase levels.”

As you now understand, lactic acid plays no role in muscle onset soreness.

Please click the link below to read a more in-depth overview on this subject.

https://www.medicalmassage-edu.com/articles/science-of-sports-massage.htm

You’ll also find a link to my Sports Massage Instructional Program, which includes:

• Full-body pre-event sports massage techniques
• Post-event rehabilitative sports massage
• Comprehensive stretching demonstrations for nearly every region of the body

Regrettably, the original description of the program is limited—but we will correct that.

In this three-hour, non-stop instructional lesson, I demonstrate all of the techniques hands-on while simultaneously explaining each step. It’s a meaningful and detailed presentation covering all the disciplines mentioned above. Please click this link below.

https://www.medicalmassage-edu.com/products/ceu-volume-7.htm#video_only

Summary

Dear reader,
Whether this history is essential for you depends on your individual interests and learning style. For those who want to learn these protocols in depth, understanding their origin may be vital. For others, perhaps less so.

Either way, I hope this overview offers value, sparks curiosity, and encourages thoughtful questions.

Warm regards,
Boris Prilutsky