The practice of massage therapy helps develop outstanding palpation skills for the practitioner. One of the great advantages of improved palpation skills is the ability to identify structural abnormalities under the skin before the client might be aware of a problem even existing. Many of these structural abnormalities will not be painful, but sometimes they […]
Vascular Compression in Soft-Tissue Therapy
The muscles in the anterior neck can become hypertonic or develop myofascial trigger points as a result of injury, poor posture, or simple overexertion. Some anterior cervical muscles are superficial and easily accessible, while others are deep and difficult to access with soft-tissue therapies. Because of sensitive neurological and vascular structures in the neck, it […]
Kinesiology- May The Force Be With You
There is no question about it – kinesiology is cool! That’s what I think anyway, and it boggles my mind when others are not as intrigued. But I think it is just that some simply do not realize the benefit of this fascinating field of study. In many cases knowing kinesiological principles is not just […]
The Long and Winding Nerve
Introduction Do you ever recall sitting in a classroom in school and thinking that one or two students were getting the lion’s share of attention when others had things to contribute as well? It seems the world of soft-tissue pain and injury problems shares this metaphor. Take nerve entrapment for example. As soon as you […]
Exploring Synovial Plica of the Knee
Massage is great for many soft-tissue pathologies. However, sometimes various conditions exist that seem like a common pathology, but then don’t respond to the treatment. In some cases an undiscovered problem may exist. In this post we’ll take a look at the synovial plica, a cause of knee pain that can easily mimic other common […]
The Role of Continuing Education for Massage Therapists
Overview Unlike other healthcare fields, such as physical therapy or occupational therapy, massage therapy is actually two primary “tracks.” The first track is geared towards the use of massage as a personal care service, with a focus of general relaxation and wellness enhancement. While massage performed for personal care can enhance health, the focus of […]
Is it Time to Reconsider Cryotherapy?
Practitioners frequently get asked whether to use heat or cold for soft-tissue pain and injury problems. Of course, the correct answer is always that it depends on the nature of the client’s condition. But what are the key factors upon which heat or cold therapy depends? New research indicates the standard guidelines for hot/cold therapy […]
The Myth of the Pain Receptors
This is an exciting time to be in the massage profession, with research that is shedding new light on different facets of our work. Pain is the most common reason people seek the care of a massage therapist, and the more we understand about pain, the better we can participate in a comprehensive solution to […]
Deciphering Elusive Symptoms of Nerve Injury
One of the most challenging situations facing practitioners who work with pain and injury conditions is correctly interpreting nerve injury symptoms. It seems that in so many massage therapy training programs the nervous system gets only cursory attention, yet pain originating in the nervous system is a critical factor that drives people to our practices. […]
Certificate vs. Certification: Credentialing Terminology Matters
There is a great deal of confusion in our profession (as well as many others) about the terms certificate and certification. We have an abundance of marketing and promotional materials in our field which advertise for “certification” in particular modalities or technique methods. However, this illustrates a common misunderstanding about the distinction between a certificate […]