Massage & Bodywork Magazine

How many modalities can you name off the top of your head? Massage, bodywork, and somatic therapies vary greatly in nature with components that encompass physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. The list is long and still growing with the creation of more recent techniques such as the Rossiter System bodywork method and others. Some massage therapists prefer to blend modalities while others are drawn toward specific practices.

A Three-Phase Approach to Bodywork Knowing how to do a technique is important. Perhaps even more important is knowing when to use it. This means not only knowing techniques to address the condition at hand, but also how to sequence these tools into a cohesive whole, with a coherent beginning, middle, and end. One way to accomplish this is to follow a sequence or protocol (such as those we teach in our Advanced Myofascial Techniques videos and trainings).

Isn’t it curious that even people who might not otherwise be interested in history want to be a part of it? For example, a recent ad for the ABMP-sponsored Back Pain Summit beckoned, “Be part of massage history!” It was billed as “the single largest event in the history of the massage therapy profession,” with nearly 14,000 people participating. Participation in a historical event has an undeniable attraction for most human beings.

Recent scientific breakthroughs in how we look at the lymph system and the circulation of cerebral spinal fluid are causing gradual shifts in massage therapy.

Articular Stretching For Neural Mobilization A primary part of being human is the ability to use our hands in extraordinary ways. This effective and skillful hand use requires stable and painless movement of all upper extremity joints, including the elbows. Since the elbow bends and straightens much like a basic door hinge, it is referred to as a hinge joint (Image 1). However, the interaction of the elbow with the forearm and wrist is far from basic.

Those of us familiar with infant massage may be surprised by the powerful impact this gentle therapy may also have for infants with breastfeeding challenges. By addressing an infant’s soft-tissue restrictions that may negatively impact breastfeeding, bodyworkers are in a unique position to work through the underlying causes of a difficult nursing relationship, and thus potentially improve the quality of life for these tiniest clients.

My newest book is an exploration of all aspects of the chakras and like-minded organs, including the science, spirituality, and history of these stellar centers; practices involving them; and hundreds of pages featuring energy systems from various cultures across time.

We are people of the body. We are bodyworkers. This term contains both the beauty and the trap of our profession. First, we are fascinated by the body, by skin and fascia, by muscle and tendon; we pride ourselves on all we can see with our eyes and all we can “see” with our hands. And second, we take the “worker” part of this label very seriously; many of us feel like we are not doing a good job unless we are exerting great effort to change or heal or fix our clients.

When a client’s lymphatic system is already overburdened because of poor circulation, lymphedema, or lymph node removal, traditional massage is contraindicated. Because traditional massage releases histamines from the mast cells, it causes a dilation of the capillary sphincters and therefore vasodilation, otherwise known as active hyperemia.

Nerve pain in the hand is a common complaint for clients, but it can also be an occupational challenge for massage practitioners. The most common cause of nerve compression symptoms in the upper extremity is carpal tunnel syndrome. However, other upper extremity nerve compression problems exist and are frequently overshadowed by it. One such problem that warrants more attention is compression of the ulnar nerve in the posterior elbow region. This is a condition known as cubital tunnel syndrome.