Favourite Massage/Healing Technique/s?

[Stinkmeat]

I am enrolling to do a massage course pretty soon, Cert IV. This will consist of Remedial Massage + a few electives e.g. Reflexology, Structural Alignment, etc.

I have had a variety of massages and healing sessions in my time. Ranging from your typical remedial massage and chiropractic to applied kinesiology (AK) and auric cleansing. I have found that a combination of remedial and chiropractic is very beneficial for physical ailments i.e. back/hip problems. While I find AK very spiritually and emotionally rewarding.

The link above regarding AK details some of the flaws and pseudoscience aspects of the practice. While the practice may well be a pseudoscience, it seems to work well for me, and thats all I really care about.

The reason I am starting this thread is to see what other people get the most benefit from. And also what would be some interesting techniques to look further into, and possibly learn.

[Monk]

So you think it may be 'pseudoscience,' huh? Haha, well it seems you've fallen in with just the right bunch of wackos, mostly Pseudoscience is where the most interesting stuff is going on. That is to say, they don't call it science...yet Anyway, reflexology...isn't that the western term for accupressure/shiatsu etc.? I'd go for that one. It's perhaps the most potent form of touch IMO and really helps refine a persons knowledge of energy in the body. Good on ya, stinkmeat!

Edited January 15, 2008 by FM.

[Stinkmeat]

FM

Reflexology is the massage of certain areas of you feet or hands that correspond to different parts of your body. i.e. Massaging the fingers or toes will benefit you neck, head and brain. I'm sure you would find a reflexology map on google if interested.

I have had a brief shiatsu session before, from a friend (they just learned it though personal interest) and I found that very rewarding. Not only did I get a physical benefit but also felt an intense wave of energy buzz trough me for a good hour or 2 afterwards.

Stink

[AndyAmine.]

FM, I am pretty sure your thinking about Acupressure (also know as trigger point therapy) which is some good stuff, although a little painful at times.

I find it the most powerful along with joint mobilization but they are some advanced techniques and if done incorrectly can do more harm than good.

Shiatsu is tops as well, it also incorporates a lot of acupressure type teks.

I luv my massage! I want to learn more of it, A) because I like to help people in pain and whilst tripping and becuase then I can get more people to give them back to me ;)

I hear Torsten have some good techniques up his sleeves. wink, wink, nudge, nudge..

[Legba]

Reflexology and Lymphatic Drainage are two techniques that are very relaxing which helps if you want a sedating effect. Turning on the parasympathetic nervous system promotes the body to heal itself. Watch you posture as you are giving a massage. Everybody enjoys massage school ;)

[Siggor]

have a look at mayopractic

[Legba]

...Acupressure (also know as trigger point therapy)...

...then I can get more people to give them back to me ;)...

Accupressure is manual manipulation of acupuncture points

Trigger Point Therapy is working with a different system, locating points in muscles to apply a similar technique to acupressure. Different modalitys. Both good it done properly.

Emotions create postures and stressed or relaxed regions. for eg - lo-bacc pathology is often seen in clients who have been carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.

AK is good shit. great for diagnostics as well as switching the client onto their region of pathology.

In summation, put the clients soul at rest: Bring the minds attention to the problem that the body has been trying to tell the mind about but couldnt get thru coz the mind has had a clogged up switchboard due to the restless soul: Take them to a place so relaxed, they neva bin b4. they will go on nice trip. ;)

Finish with percussive tech on thorasic spine to switch on sympathetic system to bring them bacc, so to speak, so they dont crash car on the way home and they remember to pay...

[Teljkon]

asdf

Edited December 19, 2021 by Teljkon

[AndyAmine.]

Accupressure is manual manipulation of acupuncture points

Trigger Point Therapy is working with a different system, locating points in muscles to apply a similar technique to acupressure. Different modalitys. Both good it done properly.

I didnt think they were the same, but I checked google just to be sure before posting and the first page I found that looked moderatly professional said they were esentialy the same so I went with that instead.

Im glad to know I was correct in the first place, thats what you get for second guessing yourself all the time.. haha.

[Vertmorpheus]

I've had accupuncture and electromagnetic accupuncture (steel needles, big circular field generator thingy around the area being pricked, this was a fair while ago) and both were really effective ... it's hard to be overly biased about your treatment at 8 or 9 years of age and it sorted something that would've otherwise meant a lifetime of the old flintstones chewable morphine. The electromagnetic (both were from the same practitioner, a Leeong in Townsville from memory) stuff was used only after the traditional form had worked out the kinks so to speak.

I've had physio/chiro from two people, one left me in massive pain for about a month and said come back three times a week forever, and the other had me sorted in three (literally) visits for some pretty drastic sacroilial and lower back damage etc... she basically got me sorted, lent me a great book and I've been able to treat it more or less by myself since. I asked about more appts. and she said "oh, if you need it come back but you don't need anything else done now"... I was blown away.

I've been big on aromatherapy for years, for minor running maintainence and of course herbalism of all flavours (so long as its literally herb based, I can't get into anything in a capsule or even most tinctures, etc).

I've had naturopathic and iridology diagnostic sessions that were 100 percent correct even in quite obscure things, esp deficiencies of some hard to pronounce microelements etc later backed up with the more mainstream labwork.

Reflexology, accu-whatever, anything based on the consensus view of what energy flows where all in my experience have something in them... not to say that every practitioner is the right kind of person to be doling it out. Sometimes you just need more sleep without a pillow for a week, or something. But people that know their way around meridians etc can do amazing things. A recent tale from a paramedic about someone falling down a cliffface while walking not far from Ajna's place was pretty solid... the paras were just heading back down the track with the litter they wanted to shift the guy with a broken ankle when they're met most of the way back up what can only be called a cunt of a hill... some local hairball has had his needles in his pocket and has pinned this guys ankle (that was more or less shattered) well enough that he could walk on the thing well enough with just someone to help him for balance. Legend has it ambos not real happy about added stresses and damage but couldn't help be mightily impressed at the sight... it was well past any usual time frame for those sudden endorphin boosts etc.. the guy was pretty rough.

A lot of "damn im out of arnica" kinda people can give all of it a bad name, but i think the real test is when these teks are used by people in wildlife rescue or working with kids, etc, where I think results are a bit more objective. Not anything against arnica specifically ... but yez know the people I mean. Couldn't tell you what they're taking or why half the time, it just had "stress complex" on the bottle, and all that.

And nothing bar nothing beats an expert or even passably good massage, and if you share em they're usually free

VM

Edited January 16, 2008 by Vertmorpheus

[incognito]

are u for hire baccy? i need a good deep tissue massage, cant find anyone strong enough to get as deep as id like.

try alternative healing medicines i.e cati for bak pain. fixed for me wot chiroscould not

Edited January 16, 2008 by jono

[Legba]

when u come here for a visit i'll give u a rub, jono.

[Stinkmeat]

Thanks for all the suggestions,

I haven't looked them all up yet, but will get onto that ASAP. Some interesting cases and techs so far.

I also think that giving a massage/healing session to someone for free is very rewarding too. I almost always get a rush of endorphins for the duration of the massage. And just recently (the last year or so) it has allowed me to become much more aware of what is beneficial to the recipient and what is not. e.g. when I am focusing on a part of the recipient that is sore or just feels really good to them, I in turn get a sensation of increased wellbeing.

Stink

[coin]

Stinkmeat --

Have you made any further decisions yet?

I'm interested to hear of what you found when looking into the modalities...& hope this topic will continue

Massage has been part of my studies (one part of many)....but I really don't feel confident yet...at first, I thought that maybe I wasn't that interested in it, and that my "specialty" would be elsewhere....but eventually I've come to realise how essential it is/will be to my practise. Right now I mostly stick to family, either when I need some practice, or when they've been working hard/have some minor injury, etc

I'd really like to do a cert 4 as well, to learn a lot more & develop more confidence

edit: oh - also .. it's just my personal thoughts, and although most people would classify my studies as "alternative" ... I'd recommend that you choose the more mainstream/"science-based" electives ... I just feel that you'll have better/more accepted qualifications for making a living out of your passion for healing, but you can still market yourself towards the "alternative" (open minded) crowd, in that your knowledge/practice can help elicit deep relaxation, clear "blockages", enhance energy flow, etc. but then you can still do remedial / sports massage etc....does that make sense??

good luck with everything....i wish i had started at your age

jono -- what do mean by 'cati'??

Edited February 3, 2008 by coin

[Legba]

jono -- what do mean by 'cati'??

cati wouldnt be your Dominatrix by any chance jono?

[coin]

hehe it is cacti?? maybe that's obvious...but I hadn't slept & kati means 'lower back/sacrum' in sanskrit.... never mind

[Stinkmeat]

Sorry i didn't reply sooner coin, but haven't checked back for a little while.

I have enrolled and been accepted for the course. Starts at the end of the month.

The course includes the following subjects:

--Remedial Therapies--

Massage therapy 1 & 2

Remedial Massage 1 & 2

Communication

--Medical Sciences--

Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2 (one of my main interests, i have had a fascination with the human body for some time now, and can't wait to learn more)

--Clinic Management--

Clinic - Massage

Practice Management, Laws and Ethics

--Elective--

Structural Aligning (manipulation of connective tissues between muscles/bones. I had this done last time i when to a chiropractor and found it to be very beneficial, so thought it would be good to take up myself)

And Coin, I agree with you on choosing a medically backed practice rather than the alternative ones. Although I am into the spiritual/healing side of massage, I feel as though that is developing within me at its own pace and would rather focus on getting the physical stuff down pat first and let the other stuff follow.

Edited February 6, 2008 by stinkmeat

[botanika]

Happy finish

[coin]

hey stinkmeat -- hope it's all going well so far...i only just noticed your reply today :-| sounds like a good course

I love A&Phys too

good luck with everything

[Stinkmeat]

Have started the course. 4 weeks in.

Some extra info for anyone interested.

It's going gangbusters. As I am only doing it part time, I have 3 classes per week.

Starts off with Massage 1: This is a really good class, 3/4 practical with the rest just being theory on muscle/bone positions and massage techs. The best part is that I get a massage every lesson. And also give one. It's "Swedish" massage for now. Relaxation and stimulation of the bodies healing mechanisms. Onto Remedial and Sports massage at a later date.

Second is Anatomy and Physiology 1: Pretty much what the name suggests, more in depth study of the body, how it works, how massage helps. Really interesting stuff as well. Every now and then I drift off in amazement of the complexity of nature and the human body. And the lecturer said that we will get to go to an on site morgue at one of the larger uni's. See bodies in the wet lab and plastinated specimens. YESSS!!!. I am heaps excited about this, expecially the plastinated specimens. (Plastinated bodies have all the water removed from them, replaced with plastic polymers and put into anatomical poses.)

And last for my week is Communication: Really good too, but for different reasons. Has already helped me develop my skills in this area. And again makes me drift off into my thoughts (maybe not always a good thing )

Yeah, so i highly recommend it to anyone interested.

HEAPS GOOD

Stink

(And I'm not sure if this topic fully fits into Spirituality & Philosophy that much, though it hasn't been moved yet )

[matriarch]

I think i replied on thread but unsure if it worked? anyways

[matriarch]

I think i replied on thread but unsure if it worked? anyways I was saying that in that hypnosis ebook I sent you (I think I did) there is a section on Chakras it just gives kinda basic explanation and then goes into his experience with working with them on his girlfriend, I'm not sure if I believe or have an understanding of them but Kept an open mind and it was really quite interesting - you should take a look when your not being Big Mr. Traveller.

Did you really get to go to the morgue? mad as tits

[sharxx101]

Steam sauna to loosen the muscles up a bit then, a hour thai massage where they walk on your back only $70 in melb with unlimited sauna and showers!!!

It was the best after big parties!!!

Gotta love massage

[incognito]

REIKI REIKI REIKI

[Legba]

ryekey...

Astro-geneological Rebirthing. (changing someones star sign)