Massage Helps Chronic Pain Sufferers

By Michael Turk

Don, a triathlete, stopped competing and started physical therapy while attending medical school. It started with a running injury in which he tore a hamstring muscle. The pain gradually worsened, leaving him with right hip and lower back pain that stopped his participation in sports. He saw two orthopedists and went to physical therapy for two years; he even tried some cortisone injections, which helped slightly but did not cure the condition. Don gained weight, lost energy, and grew despondent.

     Don’s case is one of a multitude of cases that fall under the medical name Chronic Pain Syndrome,

Contraindications of Getting a Massage

By Mike Metzger

Though I have been practicing massage therapy for more than 20 years I’m still constantly amazed at the carefree mentality of so many clients seeking massage therapy. Most of the people coming in to receive a massage usually tell the massage therapist, “I just want to get a relaxing massage,” because they don’t understand how health and underlying medical issues, even those as minor as a cold, can be a major contraindication to receiving a massage.

Clients need to observe and respect some of the contraindications, or cautions, of massage. This is why it is imperative that we as therapists educate our clients on the benefits of massage, which are more obvious, but most important, the contraindications, which may not seem so obvious to the client.

The contraindications of massage should be taught within the first week of massage therapy certification, as it is required for state-approved massage schools.

The following are just a few contraindications to be observed by my clients:

· Proper Hydration:

The importance of drinking plenty of water before as well as after receiving massage is that the client possibly may experience “flulike symptoms” if he or she hasn’t hydrated properly. The symptoms of a dehydrated client after massage could include one or more of the following: headache, nausea, and body aches/sore muscles.

· Cancer or Tumors:

The old approach for massage therapists was to not give the massage at all. Now the medical industry is taking a closer look at massage therapy.

Many physicians are allowing properly educated massage therapists to do advanced therapeutic techniques beyond the typical “Swedish” approach.

New research indicates that these techniques in conjunction with other medical treatments are a more effective approach overall than medical treatment alone.

Examples of these therapeutic techniques allowed for cancer patients are: lymphatic massage, myofascial release, medical massage, and so forth. It is a must that massage be done under direct medical supervision and that the massage therapist be formally trained in these specific techniques by a state-approved massage school. If massage is done incorrectly it could allow cancer cells to spread more rapidly through the body and tumors to grow at a faster rate!

· Medications:

Medications in general are prescribed to do the following:

1. Inhibit a body process
2. Stimulate a body process
3. Replace a chemical in the body

A detailed, current reference book on pharmacology (medications) should be a must in the libraries of massage therapists and even clients.

When in doubt, therapists need to have the client talk to the physician who prescribed the medication initially. If massage and the specific medication achieve the same goal, it’s usually okay for the client to receive massage. Massage is often used to manage undesirable effects of certain medications. Exercise caution with the following types of medications: blood thinners, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers, analgesics, and so forth. Also be cautious of “over-the-counter” products and certain supplements.

· The Elderly:

In most cases geriatric massage is very beneficial but light to medium pressure is preferable even if the client wants deeper bodywork. Common things to observe about the elderly client: thinner skin, varicose veins, open wounds, extra sensitivity to bruising, muscle atrophy (weak or unused muscles), certain medications, dehydration, edema, and so forth.

· Endangerment Sites:

These are common areas of the body of which to be extra cautious: eyes, ears, spine (spinus processes of the vertebrae), medial (inner) arm and leg areas, anterior (front of the neck), posterior (back side) of the knee. Areas of caution on pregnant women are all the above and ankles and lumbar and abdominal areas.

· Miscellaneous Cautions:

Avoid giving a massage to clients with these basic conditions:

• Fever
• Whiplash (even mild)
• Varicose veins
• Open wounds, rash, acne
• Sunburn
• Edema (swelling) and lymph edema
• Pregnancy (unless therapist has proper prenatal massage training

Remember, respect the cautions of massage and when in doubt, refer to a qualified professional.

New Massage Law to Open More Doors

By Mike Metzger, CMT, NMT, LDT

Hey, Northern California! I hope and pray that the coming New Year is a safe, healthy, and prosperous one for each of you. With everything around us being so unstable and chaotic (internationally, nationally, and even locally) it’s important to stay positive, healthy, and giving to others in need.

“One man gives freely, yet gains even more;

Another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes

Others will himself become refreshed.”

Proverbs 11:24-25

As a certified massage therapist and the owner and director of Chico Therapy Wellness Center (also known as CTWC), I am proud to be associated with a state-licensed massage school since 1989.

I have truly been blessed. For the last two decades, my highly educated staff and I have had the privilege of educating, mentoring, and encouraging more than 1,500 massage therapists and body workers. I believe this is the sole reason why throughout these 20 years CTWC has continued to be California’s oldest and largest massage school north of Sacramento. I’m still amazed at the seemingly infinite numbers of lives touched by our graduates.

Having more than 3,000 clinical hours of practice I myself have witnessed the massage therapy industry rapidly grow to become the second-most popular trade in the nation!

Recognizing this fact, California recently passed a bill (SB 731) on September 27, 2008, which will shortly implement required certification and eventually licensing of massage therapists.

We’re excited about the validity this gives us as certified massage therapists (CMTs). Of course, further education will be necessary for CMTs to maintain their professional title of certified massage therapist.

Bill SB 731 means qualified massage therapists will need to have a total of 250 hours of basic Level I training from a state-licensed massage school to continue practicing massage as a certified massage practitioner (CMP). Starting September 2009, CMTs will need to take an additional 250 hours of advanced courses, adding up to a total of 500 hours, to hold their title as certified massage therapist. In the future, the state of California may also require a state exam administered by the California Massage Therapy Organization (CMTO) after achieving 250-500 hours of training.

I and most other CMTs are happy to be given this opportunity to be respected as professionals.

The CMTO, in addition to SB 731, will serve many purposes:

• Create one uniform standard for all California cities
• Help legal CMTs obtain their business license throughout the state of California
• Help legal CMTs get higher paying jobs in clinics, hospitals, health clubs, spas, and so on.
• Help legal CMTs gain more respect and recognition from the medical community and insurance companies
• Help “weed out” unprofessional people doing massage illegally and unethically (check out the “Classifieds” section in many local newspaper publications)

In closing, all of us at CTWC would like to thank and support local CMTs who have spent their time and hard-earned income to be legal, professional, and ethical body workers.

Mike L. Metzger CMT, NMT, LDT

Third-generation Chico resident; owner, director, instructor of Chico Therapy Wellness Center; on the medical staff for the Chico Outlaws (Chico’s professional baseball team); 3,000 hours of international training; 530-891-4301.

Assembly-Line Massage vs. Quality Massage Therapy

By Mike Metzger

In my 21-plus years in the massage therapy trade, I’ve seen bodywork evolve in a very interesting modality. In this article, I will give an unbiased perspective of the bodywork trade that includes the following:

·         Genealogy of massage in Northern California;

·         What to look for when selecting a massage therapist;

·         Massage-therapy pricing (what’s reasonable for a quality massage with lasting benefits

Genealogy of Massage

I never experienced a massage until I was in my 30s, sometime in the 1980s. I was working in construction. Long hours, heavy lifting, and up and down ladders all day wears the body out. To add to my distress, I was playing in competitive sports and working out at a local health club. Some friends suggested that with all this wear and tear I should consider receiving regular massage therapy. I started looking for a massage therapist to relieve the pain in my tight, sore muscles and overworked joints.

            I was able to find a few independent massage practices in Chico. Other places that offered massage were chiropractic offices, martial-arts schools, Chico State University, and a few health clubs. At that time massage prices ranged from $25 to $45 an hour for basic Swedish massage (which was the type of massage therapy most available locally).

            Swedish massage therapy commonly involves a general full-body relaxing massage in which lotion or oil is applied to the skin to provide an even glide and to avoid friction.

            This type of massage best describes my first massage experience at the local health club I chose. I was impressed with how my general aches, pains, and muscle tightness were eliminated afterward. My only dislike was the oily residue left on my skin.

            In 1998, I decided to go to a local massage school and become a certified massage therapist myself. I discovered that Swedish massage was still very popular, but there were many other advanced techniques that were more effective at achieving longer-lasting pain relief and better range of motion.

            Realizing that most of their competitors could perform only Swedish massage therapy, more certified massage therapists in the1990s were aware of the importance of continuing their educations in the advanced techniques, not just Swedish massage.

            Some of the advanced techniques that were gaining popularity at that time and even today are:

·         Neuromuscular Therapy: Trigger-point therapy on specific locations in the muscles that refer pain to other parts of the body.

·         Deep Tissue Massage: A technique that allows the therapist to safely work on the deeper muscle and connective tissues of the body. This technique is different from Rolfing.

·         Lymphatic Drainage Massage: A lighter, more interstitial massage helping to expedite the lymphatic flow and drainage into the terminal centers, boosting the immune system. Lymphatic drainage massage is also good for clearing allergies and areas of the body that are swollen (in the case of edema).

·         Soft Tissue Release: Originating from Great Britain, soft tissue release was used mostly as a faster, more effective treatment on athletes and clients with soft-tissue injuries.

·         Reflexology: Using fingertip pressure in specific zones of the feet and hands to achieve pain relief and promote organ health and efficiency.

·         Shiatsu: A Japanese technique of working specific points to enhance energy flow through the body, helping to heal health issues.

·         Sports Massage: The blending of various techniques, all helping to improve athletic performance and promote the healing of soft-tissue injuries. Results from sports massage include increased range of motion, pain relief, and joint mobilization.

            I had the privilege at this time to travel the world to receive more than 1,000 hours of training in these modalities and a few others. The price of massage went up as a result of therapists' increasing their training in these techniques, which increased the quality of the massage.

            From 2000 to the present, more and more types of therapeutic massage and bodywork techniques became popular. Like some other therapists, I added another 800 hours to my massage education. Massage started to become more recognized in the medical community in the beginning of this decade. Some of these medical massage techniques are:

·         Orthopedic Massage: Specific clinical massage techniques used to treat muscle strain, sprain, scar tissue, joint mobilization, and so forth.

·         Myoskeletal Alignment Massage: Various massage techniques blended with new research used to treat soft-tissue dysfunction.

·         Myofascial Release: A technique that has been practiced for years but in which new research and a slightly different approach have made this treatment of fascia (connective tissue) very effective and powerful.

Today massage therapy is accepted more commonly as a viable treatment by the medical community, insurance companies, and attorneys. This is helping to increase the employment rate for massage therapists.

            The unfortunate result of this gain in popularity is that groups, from small ones on up to large corporations, are popping up everywhere, offering cheap, assembly-line-type massage to those in the public who are uneducated about the benefits of receiving a quality massage by a professionally trained massage therapist. I suppose that because of hard economic times, people have been lured into these mass-production-type parlors because of their low prices. The results are always the same. Few people in the public have ever experienced quality, long-lasting benefits from these establishments.

            Here are a few qualities to look for when seeking out a professional massage therapist:

·         Certification from a state-approved school (always ask to see proof of training);

·         Additional continuing education;

·         Liability insurance specifically for massage and bodywork;

·         Display of ethical and professional business practices. There is no tolerance for sensual massage! This type of massage only degrades and cheapens the whole bodywork industry.

·         Neat and clean office and equipment;

·         Quiet environment;

·         Clean linens;

·         Respect for any medical conditions and listening to the clients’ requests.

            You get what you pay for most of the time, so try to apply that cliché of quality vs. quantity in your search. Please, support your local massage therapist, who has invested the time and money in furthering his or her education to better serve you, the public.