massage and bodywork professionals
a community of practitioners
The Pressures of Being a Massage Therapist
Hello! I am new the the massage professionals forum so hopefully I am doing this correctly! I am looking for some perspective/insight on the topic of what it means to be a massage therapist in terms of the expectations we place on ourselves and our profession as well as those our clients impose on us as professionals. One of the reasons I have joined online is that I live in a smaller rural community where I work with a lot of other massage therapists but rarely seem to be able to engage in a professional discussion about the job. Usually the talk is abruptly ended because no one seems to want to talk about the possibility that they are not giving their clients what they want or admit the uncomfortable feelings that come with learning to provide effective massage work. Its as if everyone has popped out of massage school knowing it all. I feel quite the opposite! I have been doing massage therapy for five years and I feel like there is so much more to know that I haven't even touched upon the amount of information I have yet to learn. I feel like I am the only one who thinks that. I have noticed that there is a label placed on massage therapists to be "miracle workers." Although, I undoubtedly trust the power of touch, I also am aware of the limitations of a year of massage school and a couple introductory CE classes. When I look into professionals who teach in specific areas of bodywork, I see that they have practiced for years and years to get to the point to where they are able to effectively address complicated issues that many clients come to me for relief from. I guess I am feeling a bit overwhelmed as I am moving beyond basic relaxation massage into the more advanced massage that our profession is demanding of us. I can only take continuing education as I can afford it so any insight or perspective to boost my morale at the moment would be great.
Thanks!
Views: 896
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Gary W Addis, LMT on
-
As I just told Sadie, if the client wants hard, they are paying for hard. Not bone crushing, but, yeah, I set my table low so that I can drop all my upper bodyweight into an MFR forearm sweep, if they desire deep pressure. But, it's like going heavy in the gym without proper warmup, going deep too quickly will injure, because it will cause muscle guarding.
Therese, I'm glad you've found something you enjoy giving. But, please forgive me, I have a low opinion of CST. I just don't believe that cranial bones can be moved, even a silly millimeter. Then Upledger branched into what is essentially MFR fascial sweeping. When I was considering enrolling in an Upldeger seminar, I called and asked for an explanation of how craniosacral fluid flows throughout the body, and why it would. The reply was, "there are things we don't know about the process--but we do know it works". No offense to you or any other CST practitioner, but, sorry, I can't believe in it.
Now, I do use MLD to drain swelling from the area around a healed wound. But, maybe you can answer the question for me. Lymph channels drain interstitial spaces between every cell in the body, correct? does all that fluid migrate to the surface, where it can be drained? Most efficient locomotion for lymph is employing movement of skeletal muscle which would require it to rise, I understand that. But how does lymph reach the surface? As I said, I do use it, with good results if I am slow and very patient and very diligent about first clearing the channels above.
Therese Schwartz said:I am also very concerned about pressure with my clients! Sometimes pressure can feel good - especially if you are using the soft part of your forearm and moving lots of tissue - not deep, just lots of movement. I love Val Guin's view of deep tissue: "It's not about how deep you can go, it's about how much tissue can you move".
Sometimes I work at the bone level to free some stuck fascia, but it VERY rarely ever hurts my clients because of the way I do it - frst warming up the tissue appropriately, and I've found that if you take the pressure sideways rather than straight into the body, not only does it free up more tissue but it's more comfortable for the client. As Gordon says repeatedly, it's hard to explain things in this format! But it's possible to do great things for people even with pressure in a way that does not hurt.
The big thing is the client's breathing; if they can't stay relaxed and comfortable, it's too much pressure - even if it feels light to you.
If you have funds available for classes, you may want to consider Upledger CranioSacral Therapy. I'm getting ready to take my 11th class with them, and my clients will tell you that it's good work (12th if you count Lymph Drainage Therapy!). It's lighter pressure and still tremendously effective.
-
Permalink Reply by Therese Schwartz on
-
Gary, I figured I'd push your CST button! :-) But I wanted to offer it to Sadie as an option.
Why they called you with that question, I have no idea. I've never heard of such a crazy thing. Very strange. They know how CSF moves throughout the body; there are very good explanations for how it does, and why it does.
I don't mean to start an argument - I really don't. But I've never been taught anything that even closely resembles MFR sweeping in any CS class I've ever taken. Please let me know what you are referring to.
Also, I'm not offended! :-) No modality is for everyone; that's why there are so many! We all have talents and skills, and each of us has our place in the healing of ourselves and others.
Lymph drainage - yes, you are absolutely correct in that the lymph fluid collects everything from the interstitial spaces. The lymph vessels start out very tiny, and gradually work up to larger vessels that have their own pumping mechanism; it is kind of like peristalsis. The vessels work closer to the surface as they get bigger, and ultimately there's a large collection of them just under the surface of the skin, between the skin and the first fascial layer. Then, all of the vessels collect into the venous system in the thorax and become part of the blood, to be filtered by the liver and kidneys.
This is of course a simplified version; the lymphatic system is amazing! But I hope that answers your question.
-
Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on
-
I may coment on this later tonight. I have to go to work now. But, one of the biggest complaints about massage is PRESSURE. It hurts too much, or its too soft.
-
Permalink Reply by Maryshka on
-
"It's not about how deep you can go, it's about how much tissue can you move".
Me likey.
Therese Schwartz said:I am also very concerned about pressure with my clients! Sometimes pressure can feel good - especially if you are using the soft part of your forearm and moving lots of tissue - not deep, just lots of movement. I love Val Guin's view of deep tissue: "It's not about how deep you can go, it's about how much tissue can you move".
Sometimes I work at the bone level to free some stuck fascia, but it VERY rarely ever hurts my clients because of the way I do it - frst warming up the tissue appropriately, and I've found that if you take the pressure sideways rather than straight into the body, not only does it free up more tissue but it's more comfortable for the client. As Gordon says repeatedly, it's hard to explain things in this format! But it's possible to do great things for people even with pressure in a way that does not hurt.
The big thing is the client's breathing; if they can't stay relaxed and comfortable, it's too much pressure - even if it feels light to you.
If you have funds available for classes, you may want to consider Upledger CranioSacral Therapy. I'm getting ready to take my 11th class with them, and my clients will tell you that it's good work (12th if you count Lymph Drainage Therapy!). It's lighter pressure and still tremendously effective.
-
-
You might be right, but from everything I've read lesewhere, there is very little pumping in the lymph channels, it's mostly moved along by skeletal muscle during everyday movement; that would explain why it gathers at the surface.
MFR-- myofascial release-- is used to release adhesions in the fascia. Different methods in MFR. Lifting and twisting everything that is not a muscle will work, but sometimes it's so tight you can't lift it at all. So, working the back, apply pressure with forearm to the traps at junction with neck, sink in until client reports tenderness. Maintain the pressure into the tissue. Depending on the stubbornness of adhesions, after a minute or two or three your forearm will begin to move-- not gliding, definitely not gliding because you are digging in and there's only enough lubricant to prevent the skin itself from sticking to the forearm. Your elbow should be just lateral to the transverse processes. Your mind may wander, because the road from traps to sacrum can take 20 minutes or longer for one sweep to butt. When you reach the hips; without letting up on the pressure, move your contact point a few inches and make sweep toward the head (you'll be pulling toward you as you move backward. Should take about three fascial sweeps on that one side of the spine. When you're finished with it, notice how much looser that side is than the untreated side. Also note, that if the client reacts or reports a spot of extreme tenderness, stop movement until the trigger point releases, then resume the sweep. Because you are working at the point of pain, you MUST work very slowly-- if you are aware that the forearm is moving (although it is) you need to slow down. About 20 minutes per sweep, at least two per side of the back, so to cover the entire body with MFR, you need to schedule at least two hours. When you're finished, they'll be so loose, so relaxed they'll need support when they stand!
Trigger point therapy can replicate this by releasing adhesions created by the trigger point contracture. What I just described is Integrated NMT-MFR, a very effective blend of two effective modalities. Painful to the client, but not hard on the therapist if you maintain your stance, because you're using bodyweight rather than muscle. Now, in no way am I implying it is more effective than pure, unadulterated trigger point therapy using the advanced, painless trigger point release techniques I've learned through youtube videos and interactions with Gordon here in the forum. But when the client insists on painfully deep pressure, MFR will satisfy.
Regarding CST, I called them with the question, wanting a logical explanation of how it works; they didn't call me. They couldn't supply a logical answer.
You belong to massage groups on LinkedIn, don't you? I've had some hellacious arguments over there about this or that outrageous claim made by somebody trying to sell something. For example, an LMT claimed that he has a special technique for releasing frozen shoulder. Get this: he claimed he moves pec minor back into the acromion process, and offers to teach how it's done! Pure BS. Pec minor attaches to the bony tip of the coracoid process; it cannot be put back into a space it has never been. In another thread, a guy claims that natural supplements can prevent polio, can prevent and cure EBOLA. He sells the supplements. The point with all that, is that before I can accept a treatment method it has to appeal to my logical mind.
In his video Gordon released a thoracic erector spinae trigger point by doing his special thing at the heel. Logical: He's relying on muscle connection to muscle from heel to skull. As magical as it appears, it is neurology and kineseology in action. Then there's reflexology, which is not logical. I've looked and looked and I cannot find any connection between spots on the foot and internal organs. Blood flows first through the heart, nerve signals flow from and to the CNS, so what is the channel foot to internal organs? I submit that there is none. Therefore, in my personal opinion, a belief in reflexology defies commonsense.
Sorry, mi amiga, but a belief in CST just doesn't make any logical sense to me. I'm sure you have great success using it-- you are a great therapist always intuitively connected to the tissue you're treating, therefore you would have great success no matter what method you use.
If you can explain the mechanism of CST to me, send it to my inbox. I'd love to have the conversation. But only if you promise not to become angry with me.
: < )
-
-
Gary, thank you for the explanation of MFR sweeping. I've done much faster versions of that while doing MFR. I'm sure it feels fabulous when it's completed!
I don't have time for a good reply, maybe not for the next week and a half, or 2 weeks.
If you are interested, I will gladly email you the pdf of my essays that I wrote for the CST Certification exam. That would be much easier for me, as much of what you want to know is already explained in them (I think). It's 23 pages though - well-formatted and not in "squint-o-vision". I promise I won't get mad at you! But I won't have time for a good discussion for a couple of weeks either. And I'll share my concerns/issues/problems with the current state of things.
-
-
Please do. My personal email is my name, small letters at gmail. You do know that I hold you in high regard, don't you?
-
-
Thanks Gary, I do! And I, you! You do very good work, and have worked hard to become an excellent therapist.
-
-
I've had a great deal of help along the way. I try to pass it on.
About MFR. I don't always do the full-body MFR--it's seldom needed, especially after getting rid of the trigger points. Mostly I use it on small areas, or on big areas when a client insists on Deep Tissue.
-
-
I would also be interested in reading your CST essays cuz I'm considering those courses too, if you're willing to share. There IS something to CST cuz I had that therapy after a MVA but I can't explain it...
Therese Schwartz said:Gary, thank you for the explanation of MFR sweeping. I've done much faster versions of that while doing MFR. I'm sure it feels fabulous when it's completed!
I don't have time for a good reply, maybe not for the next week and a half, or 2 weeks.
If you are interested, I will gladly email you the pdf of my essays that I wrote for the CST Certification exam. That would be much easier for me, as much of what you want to know is already explained in them (I think). It's 23 pages though - well-formatted and not in "squint-o-vision". I promise I won't get mad at you! But I won't have time for a good discussion for a couple of weeks either. And I'll share my concerns/issues/problems with the current state of things.
-
-
I am willing to share! I'll send you a Friend request; once you add me to your Friends list we can email back and forth. Or, if you have an email that you can post here like Gary did, that works too.
Maryshka said:I would also be interested in reading your CST essays cuz I'm considering those courses too, if you're willing to share. There IS something to CST cuz I had that therapy after a MVA but I can't explain it...
Therese Schwartz said:Gary, thank you for the explanation of MFR sweeping. I've done much faster versions of that while doing MFR. I'm sure it feels fabulous when it's completed!
I don't have time for a good reply, maybe not for the next week and a half, or 2 weeks.
If you are interested, I will gladly email you the pdf of my essays that I wrote for the CST Certification exam. That would be much easier for me, as much of what you want to know is already explained in them (I think). It's 23 pages though - well-formatted and not in "squint-o-vision". I promise I won't get mad at you! But I won't have time for a good discussion for a couple of weeks either. And I'll share my concerns/issues/problems with the current state of things.
-
Permalink Reply by Sadie Haney on
-
Pressure. I does always seem to be the complaint (when it is a complaint that is) that its too soft, you can never get deep enough or it hurts....deep tissue or relaxation.
So, would you guys consider trigger point therapy and massage therapy just two totally different therapies then? Because I feel like if giving a massage therapy session where the client is wanting you to give them a deep tissue massage to " work out their pain" as they think thats what you are doing, and expects you to rub and knead them, that that is completely different then giving a trigger point therapy session where you are communicating with them throughout the session with the goal of doing what works (trigger point therapy) to fix their issues.
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Next ›
© 2024 Created by ABMP.
Powered by
