Teaching can be lots of fun.
BASED ON MANY COMMMENTS I AM GOING TO EDIT THIS BLOG POST FOR SOME CLARIFICATION. I AM OFFERING A WORKING DEFINITION OF MASSAGE THAT I WILL ADD BELOW.
Big picture: Massage/bodywork
as a method uses physical applications to the body to create mechanical forces
that act on the body tissues which then affect the body through multiple pathways
including but not limited to the nervous system, endocrine system, connective
system and fluid systems of the body .
Massage therapy or
therapeutic massage is the intelligent, compassionate and respectful process of
using massage to support another along the continuum of health and wellness - .
Therefore massage therapy is a multidimensional
therapeutic relationship
consisting of observable and measurable
mechanical aspects and an interpersonal more subjective experience both of
which have therapeutic value for the client through multiple interacting specific
and nonspecific pathways/
Check out the link for excellent explanation of the wellness continuum
Following is the original blog which suggests a way of finding common ground on the mechanical aspect of massage /bodywork . I intend to follow with another blog about what we do to create the mechanical forces in the tissues such as gliding (and the multiple names for it) kneading (and multiple names involved) and movement and you guessed it( the multiple names used). This series of blogs is looking only at the potential of common ground related to physical aspect of massage application.
ORIGINAL BLOG.
It appears at least
at some level that we are beginning to agree on the term massage even if it is
confused with bodywork. The Federation
of State Massage Boards, The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, The
Association of Bodywork and Massage Therapy
have the concept of massage and bodywork lumped together and reluctantly
I am going to have to live with this confusion for a while I think.
The age old problem of differentiating between massage and
bodywork may indirectly be defined however.
Based on the ELAP work group‘s presentation at the Federation of State
Massage Boards and the AMTA convention the
concept of forms and styles is going to be built on the platform of mechanical forces that act on the soft
tissue . There will be a learning
curve and the need to think just a bit differently and learn a slightly different
language. But it will not be that complex. I applaud the work group’s diligence
and efforts in this huge undertaking.
So first, if the the
approach is going to be considered massage/bodywork it needs to fit this criteria- creates
mechanical forces that act on soft tissue ----!
If this is the case, then the approach has to at the very
least change the physical shape of the tissue.
I submit to you that a very light touch will create a very tiny
deformation of soft tissue. With observation then we can determine if an
approach is on the massage and bodywork continuum. If actual physical contact is not made and
the tissue does not at least change shape a little bit (deformation) then it is
not massage and bodywork. Just this
differentiation would clear up a lot of confusion.
The fundamentals presented in this blog can be used to
explain ANY style or form of massage and bodywork regardless of the history /culture
of the approach, underlying philosophy and claims or evidence for or against
the approach. Remember now, the only
thing that matters at this particular stage of analysis in this blog post is
observation of what mechanical forces are generated by the method. YES THERE ARE MORE FACTORS----ONE STEP AT A
TIME HERE.
NOTE; The ethics and potential harm of making unreasonable claims
about a particular system of massage and
bodywork is a very important issue and I
will eventually blog on these topics again. HOWEVER-ONLY WATCHING WHAT SOMEONE
DOES AND BUILDING THE DESCRIPTION FROM WHAT IS OBSERVED CAN BE A TREMENDOUS
HELP IN IDENTIFYING CORE COMPETENCIES
FOR MASSAGE EDUCATION AND CRITICAL THINKING ABOUT THE CONFUSING,
FRUSTRATING TENDENCY TO LABEL THE SAME FUNDAMENTAL APPLICATIONS AS SOMETHING NEW
OR UNIQUE.
OK, let’s get started.
There are five mechanical forces. I have blogged on this
before so check out past posts.
Mechanical forces are pretty universally understood and agreed upon so
that really helps. If you ask an engineer
what a shear force is for example she or he will understand what you are
talking about..
The five kinds of force that can affect body tissues are
compression, tension, bending, shear, and torsion. Not all tissue is affected
the same way by each type of force. Eventually
we will need to look at each of the five types of forces, the ways they produce
important therapeutic benefits when applied by a skilled massage/bodywork practitioner
and the different ways they can cause tissue harm.
Compression
Compressive forces occur when two structures are pressed
together
Tension
Tension forces (also called tensile forces) occur when two
ends of a structure are pulled in opposite directions. Tension force is used
during massage with applications that drag, glide, lengthen, and stretch tissue
to elongate connective tissues and lengthen short muscles
Bending
Bending forces are a combination of compression and tension.
One side of a structure is exposed to compressive forces as the other side is
exposed to tensile forces
Shear
Shear is a sliding force, and significant friction often is
created between the structures that slide against each other.
Torsion
Torsion forces are best understood as twisting forces.
Now for the
justification for professional training and core competencies.
Mechanical forces are generic. When I push down on a key on my computer
keyboard I am generating a compressive force with my finger that will then
cause something to occur. The key moves down
and a letter shows up on the screen. To be honest with you, I am not quite sure
what happens as the key responds to the applied force. I am
also sure that there are a multitude of events that occur so that the letter
ends up on the screen. Now about the
only thing that can be observed in this whole process is that compressive force
is the mechanical force required to move the letter key down. Then a whole bunch of unseen things happen
and then the next observable thing is the appearance of the letter. Yea!
How effectively I apply the compressive force is huge
consideration. Right now I am using my
finger. It fits the key. I could use my elbow, my toes, my forehead or
an implement or tool like a pencil and as long as I can get the correct letter
to appear on the screen the outcome is appropriate. The anatomy of my laptop makes it cumbersome
to use my elbow or other body part but I have seen people that are able to use
other parts of their body or a tool to create the compressive force to move the
key. So it is not so much how the compressive force is applied as
long as the key moves down.
I also have to apply compressive force to the correct key
and in the right intensity. If the
application is too surface or light then the key does not move. Too much
intensity and effort is wasted, I could hurt my finger or even break the
computer. I also need to make decision
about what key I want to compress so the outcome is understood. Some pretty odd messages can occur or unexpected
results if the wrong letter is used or if auto correct takes over.
OK enough metaphor. Hopefully you are starting to appreciate why
massage /bodywork education needs to include an understanding of the anatomy,
physiology and pathology, how tissue and related physiology responds to the
mechanical forces and how each application needs to be modified to achieve an
expected outcome without causing harm.
The hundreds of methods of massage /bodywork introduce one
or a combination of the five types of mechanical force into the body to achieve
a therapeutic benefit. The application is modified for safety and benefit by
altering the depth of pressure, drag, duration, speed,
rhythm, direction, location and frequency. The intended outcome should make sense by, at
the very least, mimicking normal physiological function. For example, if you
think the result is going to increase a joint’s range of motion than the
application should at least have a chance of achieving that outcome.
The variety of massage and bodywork forms and styles in the
profession can be clarified by describing intended outcome, what is done during
the application, how it is adapted, mechanical forces, and mode of application.
I challenge you to describe a. particular method this way.
For example: myofascial release, shiatsu, lymphatic drainage, Swedish, cupping,
foam rolling and so forth. Grief, there
are hundreds to choose from. Forget right
now the names, creators and teachers, theory and physiology. Just observe what is being done and what the
end result was. What mechanical forces
are being created? How are the forces generated? How is the application
modified and adapted? Where and for how
long are the methods applied?
Following are some helps so you can break down any massage
bodywork system into it’s fundamental elements.
·
Depth of pressure (compressive force) can be
light, moderate, deep, or variable.
·
Drag is the amount of pull (stretch) on the
tissue (tensile force). In this context the term drag refers to the effort
required to overcome resistance. Lots of drag-little slipping no slack. Lots of
lubricant little drag. 
·
Direction means that the massage may proceed
from the center of the body outward (centrifugal) or from the extremities
inward to the center of the body (centripetal). It can proceed from proximal to
distal attachments of the muscle (or vice versa) following the muscle fibers,
transverse to the tissue fibers, or in circular motions.
·
Speed of techniques can be fast, slow, or
variable.
·
Rhythm refers to the regularity of application
of the technique. A method that is applied at regular intervals is considered
even, or rhythmic. A method that is disjointed, or irregular, is considered
uneven, or nonrhythmic.
·
Frequency is the rate at which the method
repeats itself within a given time frame .
·
Duration is the length of time the method is applied
or that the technique remains in one location.
·
Location. When the application is being applied.
Leg, abdomen, head etc. What structures are in the area.
·
Intended outcome. What is supposed to happen and what happened.
Here are figures of the mechanical forces.
