James Cyriax, MD was a British physician, widely known as the father of Orthopedic Medicine.

In 1929 Dr. James Cyriax observed a number of patients where the diagnosis was vague and the treatment non-specific. There was no satisfactory method for testing the function of soft tissues to achieve a clinical diagnosis. He developed his system of assessment aiming to accurately diagnose lesions of the musculoskeletal system and a non-surgical method of treatment for soft tissue lesions by employing a process of diagnosis by selective tension, which uses passive movements to test the inert structures and resisted movements to test the contractile structures.

In 1946 James Cyriax's book TREATMENT BY MANIPULATION AND MASSAGE was first published in England under the title ORTHOPAEDIC MEDICINE, Volume II. He introduced a specific, limited approach to massage, recommending a type of friction that goes across the fibers of the structure being treated. Because of his excellent illustrations and descriptions, many people in the United States today use this approach to massage.

Cyriax recommended deep friction given to the site of the lesion, which may or may not be within the painful area outlined by the client.

He believed that there was four ways in which the therapist could use their hand to provide friction across the fibers of the structure being treated. Muscle, ligament, and joint capsules would require friction administered perpendicularly to the long axis of the fibers composing them. He believed the thicker and stronger the tissue the greater the exactitude needed.

Cyriax felt that there were times when effleurage and petrissage merely prepared the tissues for the deeper application of friction. The therapist should concentrate on working into the depth gradually so the client would be able to tolerate more depth.

The outline of Cyriax's basic principles of massage explains his important contribution to contemporary massage technique. His book showed magnificent illustrations demonstrating specific application of the techniques to various areas of the body for specific conditions.

Some of James Cyriax's favorite quotes were:

"Every patient contains a truth… The (clinician) must adopt a conscious humility, not towards the patient, but towards the truth concealed within the patient"

"All Pain has a source"

"All treatment must reach the source"

"All treatment must benefit the lesion"

The Society of Orthopaedic Medicine was formed in 1979 to develop the work of Dr James Cyriax and to promote the theory and practice of orthopaedic medicine.