The Massage Geek^® Blog

Ran across this article today on WashingtonPost.com:

How well do you know your Massage Therapist?

The article is about the lack of government regulation of some medical professions that fall under the heading of “Complementary and Alternative Medicine,” or “CAM” for short.  Examples include acupuncture, naturopathy, massage therapy, and many more.

I’m really glad that people are discussing this issue.  I live in Minnesota, a state that does very little to regulate or support alternative therapies, especially massage therapy.  The only thing that Minnesota requires of a massage therapist is that they disclose what kind of training they have had, if any, and tell clients where they can file a complaint with the State.  The State does not require them to actually have training… or insurance… or a clean work space… or a background check.  This means that the letters after a therapist’s name like CMT (Certified Massage Therapist) or LMT (Licensed Massage Therapist) have no meaning in Minnesota.  There is no regulatory agency that oversees the use of those credentials.

In other words, the following people can legitimately call themselves a professional Massage Therapist in Minnesota and use LMT or CMT behind their name:  sex offenders, pedophiles, rapists, convicted felons, parolees, prostitutes, etc.

Extreme examples, I know.  Some municipalities recognize a problem with that kind of laxity.  So they have taken it upon themselves to create city regulations.  I chose to locate my office in St. Paul because they do require a license and they do background checks and they do site inspections.  It’s not cheap  (~$300).  But I happily pay the fee each year for their seal of approval. Unfortunately, if I want to do a massage at someone’s home in Burnsville, I have to get a Burnsville massage license (~$10).  If I want to do chair massage in Minnetonka, I have to get a Minnetonka license (~$1,000).  But I can do anything I want in Minneapolis.  No requirements there.

There is an active group of massage therapists in Minnesota trying to create statewide regulation.  Here is their website:
Alliance for Licensing Massage Therapists (ALMT)

If you are looking for a massage therapist in your area, please make sure they are licensed.  In addition, here are some acronyms to look for:

NCTM = “Nationally Certified Therapist of Massage”
NCTMB = “Nationally Certified Therapist of Massage and Bodywork”
website

ABMP = “Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals”
ACMT = “ABMP Certified Massage Therapist”
website

AMTA = “American Massage Therapy Association”
website

In a future post, I will discuss the bias embedded in the words “complementary” and “alternative.”

Sincerely,

Lynn K. Patricia, NCTMB, ACMT
Professional Member of AMTA

medical animation – markmazaitis.com from mark mazaitis on Vimeo.

and this one illustrating the immune system:

http://www.molecularmovies.com/movies/etsukoUno_clonalSelection.mov

and a whole collection of really cool animations of body processes!

http://www.molecularmovies.com/showcase/index.html

Deep massage can be intense, uncomfortable, and sometimes even painful.  But there is “good pain” and there is “bad pain.” 

A “good pain” is one that you don’t want to end.  In other words, even though the pressure may be uncomfortable and intense, there is also a positive feeling of “relief” from pain or “release” of tension.  The pain is bearable enough that you are able to breathe comfortably and keep your muscles relaxed enough to allow the pressure into the tissue. 

“Bad pain” is the kind that makes you cringe away from the pressure or hold your breath.  There is no pleasure in addition to the pain.  It is just out-right painful.  And you might find yourself wishing that it would stop. 

When working out knots and areas of chronic tension or pain, it is important to go for duration of pressure rather than depth of pressure.  A longer, more comfortable “good pain” is more effective than a short burst of “bad pain.” 

Pressure that is too deep can injure the tissue.  You may end up more sore and with more inflammation than before the massage.

I use an online booking service called “GenBook,” which I absolutely LOVE and highly recommend.  One feature of this service is a follow-up email that is automatically sent to new clients after they have had their first visit.  It asks them for feedback and gives them space to write a review.

Here is a review I received today from a client I saw last week:

Excellent experience, comfortable, professional
I am always nervous when I start working with a new body worker – but I was immediately put at ease, and was treated very respectfully. I have a plethora of issues, but I have confidence that Lynn will help all she can – and that’s a lot. She did some myofascial release on my back and started to re-engineer the flow of fluids in my legs among other things. It was relaxing with some hard work thrown in for my sake.  Excellent experience that I have already recommended to others.
Blake

Nice!  Thanks, Blake!

You can see more reviews here:

http://www.massagegeek.com/blog/rave-reviews

and here:

http://www.massagegeek.com/testimonials.php

Hey, now that is a GOOD question.  The short answer is that massage is the “manual manipulation of soft tissue.”  Soft tissue includes skin, muscle, tendon, fascia, and ligaments.  The manipulation can be performed with hands, feet, knees, elbows, or massage tools.  And you can do it to yourself or have someone else do it to you.  There are many different kinds of massage and different ways to categorize them.  One way to categorize the different forms of massage is by “intention” or “goal.”  Using this criteria, I have come up with three types of massage:

1. Relaxation
2. Corrective
3. Energetic

(side note: any of the three categories could use light pressure or deep pressure.)

“Relaxation” massage would include the type of pampering massage you might receive at a spa or salon, or the type you might give to your sweetie after a long day at work.  The intention is to calm the mind, soothe the nerves, and physically relax the entire body.  This type of massage could also be refered to as “full-body,” “Swedish,” or “fluff ‘n buff.”  Though I could talk at length about the accuracy of using those terms, I will take that up another time.  If you are looking for a relaxation massage therapist, those are the “code” words to look for.

“Corrective” massage has the intention of correcting a malfunction in the soft tissue that is causing pain or restriction of motion.   For example:  a knot, an adhesion, tendinitis, frozen shoulder, and many many many more examples.  This is the kind of massage that I specialize in.  “Code” words to look for include “deep tissue,” “sports,” “clinical,” “orthopedic,” or “medical” massage.  The pressure usually is very deep, but not always.  The treatment session will not be a “full body” experience.  This is the kind of massage that you want if you have a persistent knot, chronic pain, or want lasting relief from tension.

“Energetic” massage is intended to affect more than just the physical structures of the body. Examples include: Shiatsu and Reiki.  Some forms of energy work involve no touch at all.  Two examples are “Healing Touch”  (Why is it called Healing TOUCH when there is no touching? I don’t know!  Don’t get me started!) and medical Qi Gong.  In the healing community, these forms fall under the heading of “bodywork” and not “massage.”  However, if you intend to practice one of these modalities, your local government may still require that you have a massage license.

I suppose there is a fourth category:  “Sensual”

The intention of a “Sensual” massage is to arouse the senses.  This might be the kind of massage you give your sweetie after a romantic date.  This is also the kind that could get you arrested if you charge money for it.  This category includes “erotic,” “tantric,” “date,” or a “happy ending” massage.   Do NOT call me if you are looking for this kind of massage.  “Asian” massage or “Thai” style have unfortunately become code words for an erotic experience.  But there are legitimate forms of Asian and Thai massage.

Shiatsu is a traditional Japanese healing method. Shiatsu means “finger pressure.” Working through your clothing, I use palms, fingers, thumbs, knuckles, elbows, knees and my feet to work on acupuncture points and energy channels. It is a safe and effective therapy to balance the flow of Yin and Yang as they travel through your body.

On the surface, Shiatsu appears to be just another form of massage.  The only apparent difference is that it is performed through clothing and without any oil or lotion.  But it is really much more than that.  The intention is to work with the energy flow of the body, in addition to muscle and soft tissue.

Here is an article I wrote a few years ago:     what-is-shiatsu by Lynn K. Patricia

Shiatsu is also known as Shiatsu Amma and Shiatsu Anma.   It is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, just like Acupuncture.  However, there is another form of Shiatsu called Namikoshi Shiatsu.  This form is based on basic anatomical structure.  In other words, the lines of pressure follow landmarks created by muscle and bone, not energetic meridians.

How do you know your Yin and Yang are out of balance?
If you have to ask…then they probably are.