July/August 2014

Research relevant to massage therapy is published every day. With so much new and potentially important information to deal with, how do you stay on top of it all?

Knowing a client’s medications affords the therapist an opportunity to devise a plan of action in case an adverse reaction occurs. Medication knowledge translates into thorough care.

Until recently, fascia was often considered a throwaway tissue—the whitish “packing material” that anatomists took pains to remove and discard in illustrations. Now, opinions about fascia’s importance have changed dramatically.

Emotions, especially repressed emotions, are often related to and sometimes the cause of deep-seated tension, illness, inflammation, and pain.

Since the OA joint surrounds and attaches to the brain stem, which controls all basic body functions, poor alignment has widespread consequences.

Over time, and with repeated compressive loading, the underlying patellar cartilage in the knees and the menisci undergo gradual deterioration. Let's explore the motions, forces, and techniques.

Build your personal skill set when it comes to taking care of your health, body, and business for years to come with these 10 tips.

Physical fitness is vital to maintaining professional longevity in the bodywork field. But what exactly does fitness for massage therapists mean?

How we handle ourselves in this ebb and flow of life, both in and out of the therapy room, is affected in large part by our emotional fitness.

The muscles that form the peroneal group—peroneus longus, peroneus brevis, and peroneus tertius—are located on the lateral leg. Learn these muscles' motions, what conditions they can contribute to, and how to work with them.

For many massage therapists, extremely demanding exercise programs are a boon to business. With a torn hamstring or twisted knee, many people simply wait out the pain. Some of those injured people may visit their massage therapist. Here, massage therapists can become an important part of clients’ recovery.

Wellness is as much a state of mind and spirit as it is a state of body. It requires a balance between work time and play, solid interpersonal relationships, and strong emotional resources. Consider these wellness models as wayfinding examples.

Dull ache in your deltoids? Screaming pain between your shoulder blades? Those aches and pains could be from locked-long, weak, and flaccid external rotators or scapulae retractors.

Quiz time! All small business owners should know the answers to these questions off the top of their head. See how well you score on this business quiz.

Self-care can be as simple as enjoying a fresh apple or soaking in your favorite bath salts. Even a moment or two of pampering during a stressful day can spare us from burnout.