September/October 2023
Technique
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Opposites Attract
A deep understanding of muscle function on the singular level can open your eyes to connections you haven't seen—connections that can mean the difference between satisfactory or exceptional relief for your clients.
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Put Your Shoulder Into It, Part 1
By Whitney LoweWhile massage therapists do not perform diagnostic imaging, understanding its role and limitations in identifying rotator cuff pathologies can enhance client education and interprofessional communication.
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Knee Journal, Part 2
By Til LuchauCopers are people who can return to full activity after an ACL injury. ACL surgery is effective at reducing joint laxity; however, there is no difference in joint laxity between copers and noncopers. Noncopers can become copers through training, with proprioception, strength, and expectations about recovery being the most significant factors that distinguish copers from noncopers.
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Exploring Neurodynamics
Massage therapists and bodyworkers can incorporate nerve mobilization methods with massage and other manual therapy techniques to help resolve common soft-tissue conditions like carpal tunnel, thoracic outlet syndrome, hip pain, and more.
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Toward a Clearer Vision
When a stress response keeps firing day after day, it can affect vision in a way that leads to struggling to see and the typical response of eyestrain, eye tension, headaches, stiff neck, body aches, and more.
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My Favorite Techniques in Manual Therapy
Dr. Joe Muscolino shares the manual therapy techniques he loves (and a few more that he doesn't).
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Interconnected
Guiding clients toward discovering solutions for themselves is far more valuable than simply giving them the answers.
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Guiding Clients Toward Brain-Body Connection
The power of thought is often overlooked in nervous system communication. Change comes when awareness is present within.
Critical Thinking and Essentials
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Massage Graduate Numbers on the Rise
Despite the impact COVID-19 had on massage school enrollment, a survey from Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) found that massage graduate numbers are on the rise.
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Elevating the Profession: What's in a Test?
Like most, if not all, health-care professions, entry-level examination is a necessary component and final indicator of a practitioner's knowledge and qualification.
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The Rectus Sheath
The rectus sheath is a multilayered fascial hub that allows force transmission, motor coordination, and stability in the trunk.
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Parkinson's Disease
By Ruth WernerNumerous studies support massage therapy for improving sleep quality, reducing constipation, improving self-reported quality of life, maintaining flexibility, and other benefits that speak to the varied experiences of people with Parkinson's disease.
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The Endless Labor of the Fibroblast
Fibroblasts remodel fascia, creating or removing collagen based on physical supply and demand.
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Rest and Relaxation Are Necessities, Not Luxuries
By Cal CatesWe do a disservice to our clients, ourselves, and the profession when we downplay and/or deny the value of relaxation.
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Making Your Massage Business User-Friendly
Having a user-friendly business—from your website organization to your treatment room instructions—will keep clients coming back.
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A Dose of Bliss with Self-Cupping Mini-Facials
Self-care is less about getting things right and more about leaning into what brings you reliable doses of joy. What activities or relationships bring you powerful moments of bliss?
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Faces of Bodywork: Stormy Mesa
After experiencing trauma, a deeper understanding of massage's healing power emerged, with advice for new practitioners to stay persistent and embrace their unique style despite challenges.
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The "Superior" Massage Therapist
By Laura AllenA truly superior therapist is client-centered and not caught up in their own ego.