Massage Book/Video Recommendations

[Tyler]

I was wondering if anyone could recommend any good resources on learning the practical aspects of massage.
I recently bought a book called Basic Clinical Massage Therapy: Integrating Anatomy and Treatment. It is very good and exceptionally well illustrated. It has pictures of live models with anatomy illustrations laid over the photos. So you can see what is happening on the skin, but also what is underneath.
I have looked at the following videos:
The Complete Massage Pack- http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0972704868/102-9152544-9571307
Deep Tissue Massage and Myofascial Release- http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000AJ0ES/ref=pd_sim_dv_2/102-9152544-9571307

I had a massage the other day, hoping to release some tension from my upper back and generally recover from some hard training. I cheaped out and went to the local massage school and had a student trainee do it. She basically just spread oil all over me, which really didn't help me at all! But at least it was cheap...
So, if anyone has any recommendations, it would be much appreciated.

Tyler

[bob_stra]

TTT for later....

though your wallet may never forgive me ;-)

[James Boelter]

Tyler, I have the "Deep Tissue" book by Art Riggs and am very impressed by it. I am planning on springing for the DVDs shortly as a present to myself once I pass the NCBTMB exam for my license.

Sorry to hear about your less-than-overwhelming experience with a student intern massage. That can vary widely from school to school - at Midwest School of Massage, I always did as much deep tissue, cross fiber and trigger point work as I could get away with and/or work into the session, and invariably my repeat clients liked this and asked for as much as they could get.

You might try either the Yamuna Bodyrolling approach, or the Elaine Petrone 'Miracle Ball Method' kit ($18, includes two balls and a small book, available at Borders, B&N, etc.) You can give yourself a very thorough and satisfying self-massage with these methods using specially designed rubber balls to apply fairly deep pressure according to some well thought out protocols...and after the first investment for the balls, you don't have to shell out again. (Sounds as if I am trying to put myself out of business, doesn't it?)

www.yamunabodyrolling.com
www.elainepetrone.com

[tjosh]

James,

Which do you think is best, the Yamuna Bodyrolling approach, or the Elaine Petrone 'Miracle Ball method?

thanks,

[James Boelter]

Yamuna's approach is more thorough and sophisticated, but Petrone's approach is more accessible and gives almost instant results. I plan to learn the entire 'Bodyrolling' system eventually and get certified to teach it to my clients as an adjunct/supplemental therapy, but until that time, I use the 'Miracle Method' balls as an easy, understandable 'quick fix' for any of my clients who are looking for ways to enhance and extend the benefits of their massage therapy sessions.

[bob_stra]

Hi Tyler

Sorry for the late reply

> I was wondering if anyone could recommend any good resources on learning the practical aspects of massage.

The best way to learn is to (1) Attend a course of study (2) attend seminars (3) read books. Book and video wise then -

Dr: Leon Chaitow

Any and all of the books here, but especially Palpation literacy, Palpation skills, Neuromuscular techs and Positional release.

http://www.healthy.net/bios/chaitow/advisory.htm

To get a better handle of where Leon is coming from, you might like to read his excellent online articles -

http://www.healthy.net/clinic/therapy/body/proflib/chaitow/


Maitland:
Soft tissue manipulation made easy
http://tinyurl.com/39nq6

Trail guide to the body
http://tinyurl.com/2b8mo


Travell's & Simons Trigger Point manual - get both volumes
http://tinyurl.com/2vam2


Onsen home study instructional (Muscle energy technique)
http://www.onsentherapy.com/training/trainingmaterial.htm


AFAIK, this is one of the best online sites for clinical massage therapy
http://danke.com/Orthodoc/

That should be enough to start with ;-)

> I had a massage the other day, hoping to release some tension from my upper back and generally recover from some hard
> training. I cheaped out and went to the local massage school and had a student trainee do it. She basically just spread oil all over > me, which really didn't help me at all!

It's all they're legally allowed to do while in school. Liability laws IIRC.

[Ken H]

All:

This thread was a real god-send for me in helping rehab a bum knee I had just about given up on. Besides the informational resources here that I've explored, I bought Elaine P's book and two "wonder balls," even though I was skeptical.

I combined the wonder balls with a foam roller to get a "self-inflicted," post training massage on an almost daily basis.

The neat thing about the wonder balls is that they can be placed on soft tissue around the body that are otherwise tough to work with by yourself. (I don't have the time, the money, or the insurance to afford a PT, much as I would have liked to have involved one.)

I combine these with supine or prone WW/Body Flow/kinetic chain-like positions and really work the areas up and down and around a knee that has given me problems for a long time. I do similar movements on or around a Swiss ball -- again, a kind of Body Flow meets ProBodX -- and this also seems to have helped.

My knee feels better than it has since February 2003, when the problem first surfaced. The test will come if and when I do competitive kettlebell jerks, something I doubted I'd ever do again because they caused a re-injury, which was initially caused while jumping rope!

I never would have thought to work the "kinetic chain" in the many ways that i have in order to help my knee if it hadn't been for Scott Sonnon's advice and posts on this site -- especially the ones on this thread.

Thanks,

Ken Harper, rkc

[Ken]

the tapes on orthopedic massage by James Waslaski are the best i've seen for clinical use. I use several of his methods as a supplement to my acupuncture practice and it works very well. i can't imagine learning from a book as massage is such a kinesthetic art

check it out at www.orthomassage.net