A growing body of research on the craniosacral rhythm (CSR) is working to validate what has been palpated for decades—the CSR is a distinct and measurable physiological rhythm that has given way to its own distinct therapeutic discipline.
When we use the term emotional release, we create an agenda where none should exist.
Crafting a definition for this profession can help unify massage therapy and massage therapists in their roles as valid health-care providers.
Desmond Diaz used his background as a rehab technician to become a massage therapist who works with professional athletes and teams such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and US Men's and Women's soccer.
Debbie Pennington is an LMT who owns her own practice in West Virginia. Learn about her background and work in our Faces of Bodywork column.
Lessening lifelong chronic pain through bodywork can often require a lifestyle change for clients after the healing begins.
Building a connection from the moment you come in contact with a client can lead to a healthy, long-standing business relationship.
Clients who repeatedly take advantage of you and disrespect your boundaries should be dismissed.
No matter where you are in your career, it's of utmost importance to go through the process of identifying what your values are and how those will translate to your business.
Despite efforts by ABMP to advocate for changes to the US Department of Education's Gainful Employment rules in June 2023, final rules were released on October 31, 2023, that could greatly impact clock-hour programs in states with minimum clock-hour requirements for licensure or certification.
Massage & Bodywork magazine is a long-trusted resource in the profession. But did you know it's also a pathway to earn up to three free CE hours?
The first Black Massage Therapist Conference was held October 14 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event was rich with support, learning, and encouragement, and ABMP was proud to be a sponsor in attendance.
Heather Topoly has worked in a wide range of massage businesses, including chiropractic, PT clinics, corporate, and hospice.
Whether it's pressure-filled moments during our first years as practicing bodyworkers or the question of how much pressure a client wants during a session, gaining perspective is a handy tool.
The benefits massage therapy has to offer this population are substantial: Our work may help with pain, fatigue, muscle cramping, sleep quality, and much more.
Palliative care is an added layer of support for people living with chronic or serious illness. It enhances people's care by offering quality of life for them and their family. And your touch can make a difference in all their lives.
Tension overload can limit blood flow and nerve flow. Working this area can lead to much-needed relief.
Like it or not, friction is necessary to help connective tissue move, which can help muscles breathe a little easier.
The proximity and interaction between client and MT can lead to a different interpretation by each.
Scarring can hide the depth of an injury. Start with assessment to better understand that depth.
When essential oils are combined properly and diluted in a massage lubricant, they can expand the effects of massage.
Proper cleaning before and after sessions creates a safe work environment and lets clients know they are entering a disinfected space, creating peace of mind.
Returning to proper body positioning during your client's massage sessions can relieve your pain.
Networking with providers outside your field can benefit your client treatment process and add to your repertoire of valuable resources and referrals.
What we know about the body and how we affect it with our work is constantly changing. We must do the same.
We do a disservice to our clients, ourselves, and the profession when we downplay and/or deny the value of relaxation.
The power of thought is often overlooked in nervous system communication. Change comes when awareness is present within.
The skills of listening, noticing, and wondering help build the foundation of real, flexible, and ethical boundaries that allow us to connect meaningfully with our clients.
A truly superior therapist is client-centered and not caught up in their own ego.
Finding new ways to press, squeeze, and glide can help reduce the repetitive-use injuries common for massage and bodywork practitioners. Consider experimenting with different combinations.
By practicing using your whole body in every movement you make, your sessions will start to feel flowing and full of ease, rather than heavy and full of effort.
What we do and who we are as massage therapists needs to be more accurately reflected in massage therapy research.
Practicing active listening fosters compassionate client relationships and equips you to more accurately respond to client needs.
When we engage with each other, we have an incredible opportunity to teach and learn. Use language kindly, mindfully, and with a spirit of connection.
It's important to understand the components and criteria that define what it means to demonstrate professionalism.
Handheld percussion massage tools can be an effective way for massage therapists to enjoy the rejuvenating benefits of massage for themselves.
Using a variety of tools can create complexity in your work and can help prevent injury.
Histories taught in bodywork courses need to consult professional historians to become broader and provide context and understanding, not just fact files.
There are so many categories of soft-tissue dysfunctions, we cannot expect to know them all. But let's learn a few common soft-tissue injuries and how to approach.
As massage therapists and bodyworkers, it's time to advocate for being more than people who rub.
At some point in your massage career, you'll probably be looking for office space to rent, which can be an overwhelming experience if you're not prepared for it.
These sexual assault prevention guidelines provide a road map to maximize the safety of both clients and therapists for massage clinics, day spas, franchisors, franchisees, or those looking to expand their solo practice.
A heightened awareness of breath is essential for any type of massage or movement therapy. Helping and coaching clients to be aware of their breath through a session allows them to get the most out of their time on the table.
Ancient Thai medicinal herbs can be used to create hot compresses and integrated into massage and bodywork sessions. Specific recipes of Thai herbal therapies are effective in loosening tight muscles, increasing blood circulation, and relieving stress.
One of the challenges facing the profession today is how to appropriately credential practitioners for personal-care service and health-care service.
All businesses must comply with Title III of the ADA. There is also an ethical consideration—it is good and right to do everything we can to make massage accessible to everyone, and that includes people with disabilities.
The traditional and accepted processes of conducting and publishing research are deeply flawed. Researchers are dissuaded from being truly curious and are manipulated into publishing their findings in incomplete and misleading ways that don't serve honest inquiry and discovery.
Touch is something that we, as massage therapists, do so often it is easy to forget how powerful it is for the client.
As health-care providers, one of the most important ways we can show up in this moment is to work toward ending inequity and racism in massage therapy.
One licensed massage therapist explores what it's been like to distance and miss massage work due to COVID-19, and what it might be like to return to massage.
Massage therapists can fit perfectly into the emerging paradigm—community-based, collaborative care is the future we will be working in. This is the future of health care, even if massage therapists do nothing.
As manual therapy professions continue to grow, the biopsychosocial (BPS) healthcare model has been embraced particularly by practitioners of a holistic mindset, because of its potential for a more nuanced and compassionate whole-person approach. Yet, 50 years after its emergence, it has not seen the success some may have hoped for.
Therapeutic friction offers many benefits, such as increasing local circulation, breaking up tissue, and stimulating nerve fibers.
We're all familiar with the shortages of oil, gas, computer chips, lumber, and, most recently, baby formula. But back in April 2020, at the height of COVID-19 uncertainties, massage and bodywork product wholesalers were predicting supply chain woes.
ABMP has launched an extensive instructor 24-course training resource that is free and accessible to all schools and massage educators through April 2023.
Practitioners have to think critically about when and how to share what we know and must resist the temptation to guess.
What we do every day as bodyworkers and massage therapists is taxing work. Here are some stretches to relieve back pain.
In March 2021, ABMP conducted a survey of US massage therapists and bodyworkers. Nearly 3,000 professionals were generous with their time and participation. Following is an overview of highlights from
