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My views on continuing education for massage therapists

My views on continuing education for massage therapists
By Boris Prilutsky

Even with best intentions in mind and best efforts of school personal, many massage therapy schools cannot teach graduates full scope of practice. 1. Massage schools program have time limitations standing in the way of teaching students the full scope of practice, including advanced programs. 2. Many massage schools do not have enough faculty members who possess profound knowledge and clinical experience to teach more than 70 disciplines that the full scope of practice contains. 3. In order to develop professional skills and to prepare for advanced training, prior to attending advanced classes, practitioners should acquire some clinical experience by providing at least 100 hands-on therapy procedures on real clients in a professional setting. Continuing education programs, most likely, are the more appropriate way for continued progress in professional skills development. Is there any massage therapy discipline that is superior to other ones? There is a notion that if one who knows how to perform orthopedic massage for painful back and limb disorders they are a more advanced professional than the one who provides full body stress management massage. Is this really so? People in the modern society are susceptible to stress. Those who have made their careers providing full-body stress management massage, are they lesser qualified professionals? I think not. Stress-related illnesses include heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, diabetes, anxiety, clinical depression, tension headaches, sleep disorders and more. It should be noted that the American economy loses $350 billion annually due to stress-related illnesses. According to many surveys and statistical data 90% of doctor visits are related to the above-mentioned disorders. Full-body stress management massage is scientifically and clinically proven as a most powerful method from all the available healthcare modalities, for managing stress. Surely, those suffering from back pain have a disrupted quality of life. Yet, people are not dying from back or joint pain while as people die from stress-related heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. Why then are therapists who perform full-body stress management massage, lesser professionals? A person, who knows how to perform stress management massage with a great clinical output, is practicing a very advanced modality. In short, both of these disciplines are equally important. Why continued education program is advanced training? Prior to approving a continued education provider, NCBTMB and other massage boards check to see if a prospective instructor has enough clinical experience as well as extended body of knowledge to teach “advance” knowledge to others practitioners. One cannot teach continued education, i.e. teach already professional people, if one has insufficient clinical experience. When teaching a CE class, instructors should not just share the knowledge that is taken from books or scientific reference only. Books contain knowledge that professionals can obtain themselves by reading. Instructors share hands-on details that will allow program participants to apply them on clients and obtain results. That’s what advance training is. That’s what advance training is; not the presented discipline itself, but the training by an experienced clinician. Massage therapy is about delivering results. Any professional participating in CE programs must acquire knowledge and hands-on skill to deliver results. Certainly, an instructor must have qualifications and motivation to deliver information and hands-on training in an understandable manner, so that students can acquire the material. But participants also have to be responsible and demonstrate a high level of professional consciousness, discipline and motivation. Teaching many continued education courses, I often witnessed professional ego of participants standing in the way of their learning. The worst damage to learning is done when a participant arrives to be trained with the following mind set: ”I already know it all and just need a CE certificate.” In order for participants to learn more, they have to give instructors a chance to share their knowledge. No matter how much you know, there is always a room for improvement. I have been in practice for 39 years and am still finding room for improvement in both my hands-on performance and other aspects of professional activity. www.medicalmassage-edu.com

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Cohen on April 2, 2011 at 8:32am

Thank you Boris. In another thread you stated "This agenda have to be stoped ,otherwise with little but time massage therapist instead of to be healing artist will be technocrats with master degree.it is obvious that this technocrats seeking authority, legal power and control. I hope it will never happened."

I also hope that the direction the profession is going does not cause it to lose the "Art" in it. At my age also, while I hope I have many more active years in massage, I worry about exclusion and attempt to degrade a large segment of the profession.

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Permalink Reply by Boris Prilutsky on April 2, 2011 at 9:03am

Hi Daniel.

I don't know if this national ,but in California in a little bit anyone who possess master degree in physical therapy will be not able to practice unless will continue to study for DPT. This move was organized by special interest group of private schools. The big question is what is the need for this law?

1. Is it obvious that MA physiotherapist dangerous to the public?

2. Does DPT program leading to improving results? No one even asked this question. Now big group of people are forced to invest big money and time for DPT program or they will have to leave the fields. It will be terrible if something like this will start happened in our industry. No doubt that we should advance in our fields, but the question is if agenda of Christopher and Raven and other like they will advance our industry? I believe not.

The only things that I would like to see huge change, is that some of my colleagues will stop vigorously pressing and considering it deep massage. To change it no need of master degree program. Using the opportunity in regards of pressure I would like to propose formula of Prof. PopelynskyMD.Phd.:” Pressure should be significant but not to activate pain analyzing system”

which means if muscles demonstrating protective construction then you should reduce pressure, and because pain is subjective and your clients will tell that pressure it is too significant just reduce it.

Best wishes.

Boris

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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 2, 2011 at 12:04pm

This deep tissue or not deep tissue question is a weird issue for me..Makes no sense? I work in a spa now..Clients come in, and tell me this..."I dont want deep tissue massage" I ask them why, and they say" Because it hurts too much," Others come in and say" I want deep tissue massage." When I ask them why they say " I dont just want a bunch of oil rubbed on me. I want to feel the massage." So of course the number one concern of the clients that come into the spa where I work is PRESSURE. And in the spa where I work it cost more for deep tissue...So some of the therapists will give a too light of a massage to their client because the client didnt pay for deep tissue? Or the client, in order to save money, wont ask for deep tissue..I massage people the best I can with the most appropriate pressure for the client..You of course dont brutalize some one with too much pressure and you dont just apply oil to their skin either. Whatever kind of legislation or whatever comes into play. I will continiue to massage everyone to the best of my abillities to provide them the service they need or want..Call it whatever you want.. I call it a GOOD MASSAGE... Its sort of like..why would anybody want to press too hard or too soft on a client. Massage is the touch? If they start legislating pressure ...Thats insane?...

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Permalink Reply by Boris Prilutsky on April 2, 2011 at 1:02pm

Hi Gordon.

you have brought very important issue to discuss. No doubt in my mind that any clinical work have to include deep tissue mobilization. The following link to my page where I am offering videos that including a bit extended discussion on this subject. Thanks for posting.