May/June 2017
Technique
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Preventing Back Strain
Back problems are ubiquitous in our modern world. Here's how to prevent or at least reduce back strain in clients.
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Why We Get Shorter
The intervertebral discs are responsible for 25 percent of our spine's overall length. If restoring function is the key to slowing spinal aging, then what's the best way to pump up those discs?
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The Subtle Energy Search for Meaning
By Cyndi DaleA bodyworker is often perceived as a beacon of wisdom. So what can we do when helping a client cope with what appears to be the impossible?
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Strategies for Career Longevity
Learning the skills of self-care is key for massage therapists. What is perhaps less often discussed though is the significant role of creating and maintaining boundaries within your practice.
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Focusing on Compassion
Derived from Sufism, I try this approach (and ask this question) to practice a more devotional, heart-led connection with clients.
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That Which Fires Together Wires Together
There is a saying in neuroscience: that which fires together, wires together. One client learns how to stretch one muscle without stretching another.
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Uncoupling the Neck and Jaw
By Til LuchauPaired movements of the jaw and cervicals are very common. But shared innervation doesn't mean the jaw and neck are always linked.
Critical Thinking and Essentials
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Recharge Between and After Clients
Simply centering your body a few times a day can help you return to the present moment and remain open to new possibilities.
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Dan Rupp
Dan Rupp is a hands-on type of guy, working in electrical, construction, plumbing...so finding a new career where he could still use his hands came naturally.
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What Happens If You're Accused of an Ethics Violation?
By Laura AllenHaving a complaint filed against you is something no massage therapist wants to happen.
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India: Building an Educational Bridge
In 2016, a group of North American massage therapy educators traveled to India in hopes of spreading awareness for massage therapy as a profession.
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Shouldering the Challenge . . .
By Whitney LoweThe shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, which means there can be a number of things that can cause complaint or go wrong.
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6 Yoga Poses to Support Your Practice
Practicing massage therapy can create stress on the back, neck, and shoulders, so self-care is essential. One great method of self-care is yoga.
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Alzheimer's and Other Dementing Diseases
By Ruth WernerHow can we help clients or potential clients living with Alzheimer's or dementia?
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Simple Self-Care Practices & Why They Matter
Be willing to commit to your ability to practice self-care.
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Facial Muscles
By Christy CaelThe complex network of facial muscles lie just under the skin, and cover the anterior and lateral skull and mandible—and are interconnected with the head, neck, jaw, and more.
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Work-Related Musculoskeletal Exposures and Injury
According to OSHA, more workers are injured in the health-care and social assistance industry sector than any other division of labor. But this data doesn't include massage therapists.
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Self-Care Starts Here
A large percentage of massage therapists leave the profession within the first two years simply due to the physical demands of the work. Take that as a sign: self-care is important.
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Caring for the Senses
Over time, as I have learned more about self-care, I have come to learn that food is not the only way junk can get into my system—it can get in through the other senses just as well.
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Pay Yourself First
I never used to save money. It simply felt impossible. Until one day I learned I could start telling myself a different story—and paying myself first helped me shift my mindset.
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Laughter: The Best Medicine
While it may seem intuitive that humor can be an effective tool for enriching our practice, it can be hard to learn how to introduce humor into a therapeutic environment.