To successfully combine Massage and Somatic Education requires understanding the differences in the two modalities. Massage is a powerful therapy, which includes affecting tissue repair, releasing trigger points and chronic tension as well as clearing adhesions within the fascia. Somatic Education, on the other hand, is technically not a therapy; it is a method of teaching, using movement and awareness. The primary focus of Somatic Education is enhancing the efficient use of the nervous system.

When combined, these two modalities bring together the best of both worlds. The manual therapy of massage is able to directly affect the soft tissue, releasing restrictions, painful trigger points, etc. Then, the reeducation is able to expand the functional capacity of a persons nervous system. Together these methods can be an all-encompassing approach to assist clients in their search for well being.

Handling and Assessment

If assessment for a Massage Therapist is all-important, then for a Somatic Educator it is everything. In fact the entire session is a process of moving back and forth between assessing, tweaking and reassessing. A subtle shift in an area can create a whole new strategy to emerge midstream. The dynamics of the session is the interplay of two somatic systems giving and receiving feedback. It is about human development. It has been suggested that in a successful session the client, as well as the practitioner, should leave feeling better and more organized.

As in any session always begin with a calm touch. Establish safety and trust through the quality of your voice and hands. The tone of the whole session needs to be set at the very beginning. This includes professionalism, atmosphere, expectations, etc. At the same time be inquisitive, have a beginners mind. Investigate all aspects of the skin, muscles, bones and movements of the joints. Do this as if you are having a conversation with the client through your fingers and hands. Let them know that you are safe and acknowledge them as a unique individual.

Use the initial moments of the session to get a “first impression.” Notice all the different aspects of the client. Consider their breathing, muscle tone, how they respond to small movements. As the session progresses notice and highlight how the client may shift in any way. Is there a softening, lengthening, or an easing of movement? Help the client become aware of these. “The greatest changes occur in the physical body when there is a corresponding change in awareness and attitude.” Moshe Feldenkrais

Initially this investigation may include gentle compressions, slight movements of different joints, palpating the soft tissue with your fingers and hands. Keep a “soft focus” noticing the clients over all respond. Do they try to help with the movement? Do they resist? Is there a restriction in the movement? Does the movement transition to other areas or is it limited to a small area? Is the client tense or do they seem to relax. This exploration will give you the information needed to build a strategy. Though your main focus is assessment, don’t be surprised by the unintentional changes that occur almost immediately. This is why you have to be so attentive. Your chance at a first impression is very short.

The transition into treating an area as opposed to assessing it should be subtle, but clear. In other words, the conversation changes, but the safety of the touch is the same. Watch to see if the tissue responds favorably before becoming determined about which approach to take. Listen for what their body needs and wants. You may need to change strategies several times. Look for the gentlest path to achieve the desired results. If you meet resistance avoid force, use finesse instead. If you get stuck and aren’t making progress, stop and go somewhere else. Avoid getting hypnotized by what the client is hypnotized by. Remind yourself that you are working with a whole person and not just the part they requested help with.

Lastly, it is essential to integrate the work you are doing with the clients entire nervous system. If there is an obvious shift it may help to take your hands off the client for a few cycles of respiration. It is their system that needs to renegotiate the changes that occur. Our constant interruption and probing can actually confuse and muddle the process for them. Instead try directing their awareness to areas where the shift has occurred helping the stay in their body, then proceeding as needed. Lastly, don’t become determined bound to resolve all of their issues. Often times a few clear changes will prompt the process to continue unabated where as too much input can overwhelm and confuse the process. Remember the human organism is designed to self-correct. All we are doing is creating the environment for that to happen.

Arnold Askew is co-founder and owner of Red Mountain Institute for the Healing Arts where he is the senior instructor. He has extensive training in both manual and movement therapies and has been on staff at the Pain and Rehabilitation Institute since 1992. He is a member of the Alabama Board of Massage Therapy and is Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.
http://www.redmountaininstitute.com

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Massage is recorded as one of the earliest forms of physical therapy. It has many benefits, both physical and psychological and works on many levels. It is the unique way in which it combines the various benefits to suit the individual that makes it such a versatile and effective treatment. Massage helps many people with musculoskeletal problems that first sought help from other specialists and saw no improvement. This shows that massage is often the best treatment method.

The most common musculoskeletal problems are from minor injuries. These can be extremely painful and may seriously affect a persons occupation, sport or quality of life. If not diagnosed and treated properly at the early stage, a minor injury can sometimes lead to a more serious condition in the long term. Massage can treat the majority of such minor problems quickly and effectively. Injury prevention is another area where the importance of massage should not be underestimated. Bio-mechanic assessment and exercise are often prescribed for injury prevention but massage is the only actual treatment that can be applied specifically to help prevent injury. This is not only applied in sports context but also in terms of posture and other forms of stress.

Massage should also play a very important part in any athletes training programme alongside warming up and cooling down. Through massage the build up of general aches and pains can be removed which most sports persons normally seem to accept. The therapist can use their hands to explore the tissues, find these problems and deal with them accordingly. This will not only help to improve performance and endurance but also prevent injuries and loss of joint mobility in potential trouble spots.

After the initial inflammatory stage, sports massage therapy is a superb form of treatment simply because it works with the body’s own healing processes. Improving circulation and manipulation of the injured tissues will result in preventing adhesions forming, realigning scar tissue and much faster return to activity.

Body Torque - Pushing Your Body to Peak Performance

Established in 2002, Body Torques Personal Training, Pilates and Massage Therapy has become one of Surreys elite health and fitness companies. Based in the South East - UK, covering areas including Guildford, Woking, Chobham, Pyrford, Send, West Byfleet and surrounding areas.

Jacky Tyrrell is a highly motivated and dedicated Personal Trainer who has been in the industry for over 7 years for further information please see author bio.

For further information on all services offered or to find out prices, please visit Body Torque at http://www.body-torque.com

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There are 3 different categories of sports massage; event, maintenance, and treatment massage. While each type offers specific benefits, all sports massage can help reduce the risk of injury, increase circulation, and improve recovery time; which are three very important factors for all athletes. This article is going to focus on Event Massage.

Event Massage can be broken into the sub-categories of pre-event, inter-event, and post-event. Pre-event massage will help an athlete prepare for the upcoming physical exertion. Inter-event massage is used during and event such as track, where an athlete may be entered in multiple activities. While post-event massage is used to help athletes recover from the exertion of the event. Event massage targets the large muscle groups, is short in duration (10-15 minutes) and fast paced.

One of the most important benefits of pre-event massage is helping to reduce the risk of injury. This is achieved through the warming up of muscle and connective tissue. As muscle and connective tissue warms, it becomes more elastic; therefore it is less likely to tear. Pre-event massage also increases circulation. This will help supply the muscles with the needed nutrients during the event. Pre-event massages also help create a positive state of mind and can help improve an athlete’s performance potential.

Inter-event massage is administered between the events during a single day’s competition; such as track and field, swimming, and tennis. Inter-event massage is used to identify any areas of tension that developed during competition. Using effleurage and pétrissage massage strokes, a therapist can loosen the tension; therefore reducing the risk of injury.

Post-event massage is best done after an athlete performs normal cool exercises and stretches. The benefits of post-event massage include returning the muscles to a resting or relaxed state. It will help with venous return to support the metabolic recovery; this includes lactic acid build-up in muscle tissue. A massage therapist can identify and de-activate any trigger/tender points that developed during competition. Post-event massage will also reduce the risk of “next day” muscle soreness.

Event Massage is a faced paced style of massage intended to enhance an athlete’s performance potential. It will increase circulation and core body temperature; aide in recovery time and reduce the risk of injury. Event Massage is not intended to take the place of normal warm-up and cool-down routines; rather it is an aide to enhance and complete these routines.

Daniel J. Brownell, LMT
Full Throttle Massage, Inc.
Chattanooga, TN
http://www.fullthrottlemassage.com

Do you need a massage? Are you looking for someone to come to your sporting event to provide massage? Visit our website for details on how we can help you.

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It is a common misconception that neck pain is related to abnormal cervical spine curvature. However, the most common causes of this common ailment are sprain (injury to the ligaments of the spine) and strain (injury to the spinal muscles). It is important to distinguish between the two in order to ensure the correct therapy such as massage is used as a cure.

Neck sprain may occur after a neck injury that causes forcible stretching or tearing of the soft tissues of the neck, such as a contact sports injury or whiplash from a motor vehicle accident. Neck strain may also occur as the result of postural or repetitive stress (overuse), often related to sleep position or poor standing and sitting posture. Ongoing pain related to neck sprains and strains occurs as a result of soft tissue inflammation and swelling.

Other causes of neck pain include pinched nerves or a variety of structural or degenerative spinal disorders such as a herniated disc and cervical spondylosis (osteoarthritis). The ailment may also be associated with dental disorders or rotator cuff injuries (muscles of the shoulder).

If you have chronic neck pain, your doctor should perform a thorough medical examination to rule out serious structural or physiological spinal disorders. Both X-rays and MRI scans will assist in identifing the source of pain and the appropriate action to take. It is important to seek immediate medical attention if your neck pain is severe or if fever, dizziness, weakness or any unusual symptoms occur along with neck pain.

You can try and avoid the onset of neck pain by trying to maintain a natural aligned spinal position when sitting, standing and walking. Consider a lumbar support cushion for your car seat or desk chair. If your job requires repetitive tasks such as holding a telephone between your shoulder and ear, or if you are frequently in the same position while you work, such as sitting at the computer, take breaks and stretch your neck muscles. Also, make sure your neck is properly positioned during sleep: Avoid positions that abnormally flex your neck. It is often the case that an old and worn pillow or mattress can be the cause of neck pain. Cervical pillows are available which will provide adequate support.

The length of recovery from neck pain depends on the severity of your injury as well as your age, health, and history of prior neck injury. Several massage treatment sessions may be needed before you achieve relief. A massage therapist will be able to advise you on the appropriate frequency of sessions, either with a therapist or self massaged, to best treat the condition.

Don’t forget, a massage therapist can teach you how to massage your own neck to reduce muscle stiffness and increase range of motion. The effects of massage tend to be longer-lasting when it is performed multiple times each day. Do not perform deep muscle massage in areas that are painful, swollen or inflamed as this could lead to injury.

Discover the secret to heal, improve, relieve, relax, even arouse just with the power of your hands. The beneficial effects of the various massage therapies available are too often ignored as a natural method of easing common ailments. It is not difficult to learn the basics of massage and the rewards are fantastic. Discover how you can harness the power of your hands and be able to massage with confidence at http://www.massagedvd.info

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With over 250 different types of massage and new types of massage emerging every day it is hard to know what is best for you and your needs.

For the most part, it really depends on your needs and the type of massage you like the most. Discovering your needs often involves trying different types of massage and even just different massage therapists to see what you like and don’t like.

Rolfing is named after a woman, Ida Rolf who created it. It is a series of sessions that is based on reorganizing the alignment of the body. It is deep tissue bodywork and works best when you are having structural based issues such as chronic knee problems, neck or back problems. It can be very painful at times and also more expensive than most types of massage. Rolfers usually go through more schooling than just regular massage therapists.

Polarity therapy is quite the opposite as far as the depth of the touch used in the massage. Polarity therapy isn’t really even massage in some ways. It was developed by Randolf Stone and combines pressure point therapy with diet and exercises that uses breath and sound and self awareness. The theory is that energy flows between two poles (negative and positive) inside and outside of our bodies. Increasing the flow of energy between the two poles can help alleviate pain and sickness. The Polarity therapist then applies pressure of varying degrees to areas of the body that are blocked and sometimes they don’t even put any pressure or touch at all. Practitioners are certified by the American Polarity Therapy Association.

Shiatsu is a system that uses ‘finger pressure’ to treat what are called ‘Tsubos’ or acu-points. There are 360 tsubos along the meridians on each side of the body. There are different types of Shiatsu - Zen Shiatsu, Macrobiotic Shiatsu, Integrative Eclectic Shiatsu, Japanese Shiatsu.

So you can see that just reading about different types of massage doesn’t do much to explain what it really is. Each therapist will also have a different learning background and own application of each technique making it even more difficult to know what type of massage to get.

In getting a massage some of the things to remember is to just always be honest with the massage therapist about what you are feeling. Many people think that going to a massage therapist that the therapist will know what is best. The fact is that you know best. If it hurts too much, if the pressure isn’t deep enough, if the room it too hot or cold or if you hate or love the music - let the therapist know.

Julie Onofrio a licensed massage practitioner in Seattle WA for 20 years and author of the “Massage Therapy Career Guide: The truth about becoming a massage therapist ” and “How to Find a Job in Massage”.

My websites http://www.massage-career-guides.com and http://www.thebodyworker.com are great resources to help you learn more about different types of massage.

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Most of us know about the benefits of getting a massage but what are the benefits of giving a massage?

When I was in massage school I started to notice a very interesting phenomenon. What I noticed was that when I finished doing a massage I had more energy than I did before I gave the massage. It wasn’t really evident at first because I was concentrating so hard on trying to remember everything and getting it right, but after a few months it became apparent that I was receiving as much benefit from the massage as I was giving.

I talked with my teachers expressing concern that maybe I was somehow sucking energy from my clients. They assured me that this was not the case. Once I became aware of this blessing of massage I started paying more attention to it. What I noticed was that the more massages I was giving the more I was getting out of those massages myself.

What I have realized over the years is that giving a massage is somewhat like a meditation. When I work I am totally focused on that person and particularly on that body for at least one hour. At times when I am working if there is a loud noise or something it usually startles me more than it does the person on the table because of the level of focus that I put into a massage.

I started asking around to see if other massage therapists had this same kind of experience with massage. What I have found is a resounding yes. That is exciting. At our massage school we teach weekend classes once a month for the general public to learn basic Swedish massage. Again and again we have students commenting that they can’t decide if they would rather give or receive the massage.

Here are the findings from a study from the TRI about this. Elderly Retired Volunteers Providing Versus Receiving Massage

Elderly retired volunteers were assessed after giving Infants massage for a month versus receiving massage themselves. Results were: 1) they reported less anxiety and fewer depressive symptoms and an improved mood after giving infants massage; 2) their pulse decreased; 3) their cortisol levels decreased; and 4) they reported improved self esteem and a better lifestyle (e.g. fewer doctor visits and more social contacts) after the one month period. These effects were stronger for giving infants the massages than receiving massages themselves, suggesting that the massager can benefit from simply giving massages.

“Elderly Retired Volunteers Benefit from Giving Massage Therapy to Infants”, Journal of Applied Gerontology, (1998), 17, 229-239

So as you can see it was not just me! I asked some massage therapist friends about the benefits they felt like they receive from giving massages. The list looked like this.

1. People are happy to see you
2. I love hearing that people are doing better because of massage
3. I don’t have to sit while working
4. I feel I am promoting healthy life choices
5. General frequent compliments on my work
6. Being able to trade with other people for massage, haircut, waxing, computer work…..
7. Teaching people about the body
8. Being able to offer advice or referrals ie: certain doctors for MRI or X rays
9. One of uninterrupted time, no phone, email, knocking etc.
10. I go to work to relax.

One therapist did mention that she always felt a little jealous that it was not her on the table! I guess we are all human after all.

I think this is a pretty impressive list of benefits for any job. Next time you decide to receive a massage maybe you should ask your therapist what he or she getting out of it? Hopefully their answer will be a very enthusiastic- TONS!

Roblynn Neumann is Co Director and owner of Costa Rica School of Integrative, a study abroad massage school located in Heredia Costa Rica. You can contact her at info@crmassageschool.com She has owned and run a private massage practice for 12 years, and taught for 3 years.

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By Jag Reeves

There are many similarities between Sports massage and Thai massage, and many obvious differences, though many practitioners feel they are extremely compatible and combine the two to great affect.

Sports massage is one of the most popular western therapeutic approaches to massage. It is not a general relaxation massage, but one focused on reducing tension, pain, injury and increasing the performance of the body. It is generally a deep massage that works on the principles of muscle, bone and nerve function. Usually given on a massage table, with the use of oil, sports massage employs a range of various techniques to stretch and realign the muscles of the body. This will often include a number of applied stretches. It is common to undergo a postural assessment before a session, for the practitioner to consider where the person’s problem may ultimately lie. The focus of a session will be to relieve symptoms of pain in the area affected, but also in areas not directly affected but indirectly causing the symptoms. Following a session, suggestions may be made for a routine of exercises to be practiced at home, to build on the improvements made during the massage session.

Sports massage is not merely for the benefit of the sports person - in fact, it is far more common for the average person seeking sports massage to be an office based professional suffering with upper back, neck and shoulder tension and pain, or lower back tightness, weakness and pain. It is beneficial for everyone.

Thai Yoga massage, often referred to as just Thai massage for short, is part of the ancient and traditional medical system of Thailand. Practiced by at least one member of most households, it has been used as a general preventative healthcare system among Thai families. The Thais are not knowledgeable of anatomy and physiology like practitioners of western massage techniques such as sports massage, but approach the massage from an understanding of energy channels that run through the body, like blood vessels and very similar to the Chinese meridians of acupuncture. Thai massage manipulates the energy channels of the body primarily, and the joints, muscles and soft tissues secondary. It is given with the recipient fully clothed, wearing loose comfortable attire, on a futon mat on the floor.

The massage is given in a very slow, meditative and mindful way. The practitioner uses technically brilliant body mechanics to transfer body weight, rather than muscle strength, and will use most parts of his/her body to administer the massage. Deep, slow squeezes and compressions are applied, but Thai massage is most renowned for the amazing myriad of applied yoga stretches, that challenge and open the recipient’s body, leaving them feeling relaxed, energised, taller and more expansive.

Thai massage can be given for general relaxation or healthcare, or can be focused on a more specific therapeutic outcome, akin to sports massage. It is particularly beneficial to the average person who sits at a desk all day, with little movement of their body. The Deep and manipulations of Thai massage really get the energy flowing that often becomes stagnant when we are stationary for long periods.

Many of the techniques of sports and Thai massage are very similar, such as the compressions and stretches, and Sports massage can and will often be applied over clothing or towels. Some practitioners have studied both and will combine them for very effective results.

Contrary to what some may have heard, good, skilfully applied Sports or Thai massage will not cause you traumatising pain or leave you bruised and aching for days. You may experience some therapeutic ‘good pain’ that affects an immediate feeling of relief, but no more.

Jag Reeves is a massage therapist based in North London. If you are based in London and would like to sample sports or thai massage visit: Sports Massage North London

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Self massage is a technique that enables you to ease the aches and pains in your muscles as a supplement or replacement for professional massage treatment. Self massage is great when your budget is a bit stretched or you have an immediate pain that needs to be addressed for your own personal comfort. Whilst it does not necessarily give you the same range of benefits that a professional massage can provide, this is an excellent maintenance strategy for your wellbeing. When you are performing self massage, there are a number of techniques that you can use to ease muscle tension and relieve pain. This article provides you with an overview of some simple ones that you may find useful.

Pressure Point Therapy

Applying some gentle massage and pressure to the area affected is a simple way to start. You should be able to find your pressure points with a little bit of trial and error. You will know when you have hit the spot as you will feel tension release in the surrounding muscles and start to experience some relief immediately. If it is highly sensitive to the touch or hot, then it may be best to leave it, or have a professional take a look, as the area may be injured or inflamed and massage will potentially aggravate it more. As a general rule you should feel relief and potentially mild discomfort but not pain.

Towel or Strap

A towel, strap or belt can all assist you in gaining a deeper stretch in the right areas. If you are particularly tense or simply not very flexible, it can help to use these implements to help you reach for your limbs and stretch properly. It is better to do this than force a stretch that your muscle is not capable of or not stretching properly. This is a useful technique with both legs and arms to help relieve tension.

Heat

When an area is extremely tense, the muscles can become locked up making it difficult to massage. Heat is a useful way of relaxing the muscles in tense areas, particularly hard to reach places such as your neck, shoulders and lower back. The heat also relaxes you mentally and can be a lovely way to wind down before going to sleep. When you use a heat pack make sure it is not so hot that it is uncomfortable by wrapping it in a towel or blanket. I typically apply heat for around 10 to 20 minutes to ensure my muscles have been adequately relaxed and tension is reduced.

Ice

If you have an injury, application of ice after exercise should form an important part of your recovery routine. It also helps to elevate the affected area. This will reduce swelling and protect the injured tissue. If you do not have an ice pack then I would recommend using frozen peas or corn. They are malleable so you can easily mold them into shape and, similarly to heat, it is best to wrap them in a towel. You would typically apply the ice for around 10 to 20 minutes.

Tennis Ball

A tennis ball is a great way to apply pressure to massage hard to reach places such as your shoulders. You can roll the ball over the area using a wall or the floor to assist or use the tennis ball to apply pressure in the affected area by pressing into it with your body weight. You will be able to feel if you are applying it to the right area similar to pressure point work as you will immediately feel relief throughout the affected area. Other objects that can be useful are walls and broom sticks are help get into hard to reach areas.

The trick with self massage is to manage your pain whilst also being gentle with your body. If you are feeling unreasonable levels of pain from your self massage then try reducing the pressure or give it a rest and try again later. If you want specific exercises or treatment options, it is helpful to ask your therapist and they will be able to show you other techniques or specific stretches for the affected area. If you have any persistent issues you should definitely seek professional advice.

find4me has been created to make it simpler and easier to manage your health and wellbeing. We provide practical information about what health and wellbeing services are available and finding those that are right for you. To find out how to get a copy of our FREE step-by-step fitness planning guide, just click here.

find4me was founded by Kareene Koh and is based around her passion for health and wellbeing. To find out more about find4me please visit http://www.find4me.com.au.

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Have you ever noticed that when you are stressed or overworked a massage can work wonders? The problem is that you’ll often find that the one place you can’t reach yourself is the place that needs massaging the most.

Between the shoulder blades or lower down your back seem to be the worst culprits. Even if you can reach some of the knots like the back of your neck or should you can’t apply enough pressure to work out the knots.

This is where trigger point therapy tools come into play. A trigger point therapy tool such as the Body Back Buddy Massage Cane or the Thera Cane Back Massager can allow you to reach the trigger points that you can’t reach yourself.

These massage therapy tools have been developed over recent years by chiropractors and massage professionals to allow you to self massage with amazing accuracy and results . You only need to read the reviews on sites such as amazon to see how useful they are. Out of 57 reviews 48 gave the Body Back Buddy 5 stars and 7 gave it 4 stars. Basically these things work and do what they are supposed to do.

These tools have many benefits such as:

They can help to release sore muscle trigger points with shiatsu massage/ pressure massage

They make it easy to reach hard to reach shoulder and back trigger points

They can be beneficial for shiatsu treatment of Fibromyalgia trigger points

Allows you to self treat knotted muscles in your neck and back

They may help to reduce muscle pain by means of direct applied pressure

They can work out knots in hard to reach places.

Massage Therapy tools generally come in two types, collapsible which are great for traveling and the sturdier one piece cane which is perfect for use at home or in the office. The canes are simple to use just locate the area that needs treatment and then apply the cane. No matter where the ache or know you’ll always have a ball within reach of just the right area.

If you are looking for an ideal gift for a friend or family member a trigger point therapy tool coupled with a book on shiatsu massage will make the perfect gift this Christmas. Just make sure that before you wrap it up you try it on yourself and then hope that they have bought one for you!

Find more about the Body Back Buddy and massage therapy tools at Learning Massage Therapy where you’ll find free massage articles and reviews http://learningmassagetherapy.com

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Writings on massage have been found in many ancient civilizations such as Rome, Greece, Japan, China, Egypt, Mesopotamia and India. A biblical reference from c.493 BC documents daily massage with olive oil and myrrh as a part of the beauty regimen of the wives of Xerxes. (Esther, 2:9-12) Hippocrates wrote in 460 BC that “The physician must be experienced in many things, but assuredly in rubbing.” The ancient Chinese book called Huangdi Neijing by the Yellow Emperor recommended “massage of skin and flesh.” The technique of massage abortion, involving the application of pressure to the pregnant abdomen, has been practiced in Southeast Asia for centuries. One of the bas reliefs decorating the temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, dated circa 1150, depicts a demon performing such an abortion upon a woman who has been sent to the underworld. This is believed to be the oldest known visual representation of abortion. In Romania some illnesses were treated by a massage in which the patient was trodden on by a tame bear.