Historical, cultural and philosophical approaches to massage
It seems that where ever you look throughout history in every continent there has been some form of massage used. Wikipedia stated that there is a biblical reference that they used olive oil myrrh as part of the beauty regime of Xerxes wives this was written in 493 B.C!
Eastern massage
Massage has a very long presents in the ancient eastern times it had been noted that records have been traced back to as early as 3000 B.C (salvo 2003) the records say that they used massage as part of the methods of Chinese medicine for treatment of illness.
The name that was given to the art of Chinese massage was Amma. They say that this is the grandparent of all other massage techniques, they had developed it so well that they were first to train and employ massage therapist that were blind! (Salvo 2007)
The Chinese had massage so well developed that it found its way getting to Japan and the name for Japanese massage was Shiatsu. Shiatsu was very similar to Amma that they think it was even a component of it. The Asian concept that the body has certain energy points these are called tsbo points, so when the shiatsu practitioner would massage different tsbo points to bring balance between the mind and body.
Western massage
The art of massage goes back to the ancient Greek times in the west.
A group of Greek physicians that were living in Rome were known as Methodist and they supported a very basic view of healing and restricted treatments to bathing, diet, massage, and a few drugs (salvo 2007)
The art of massage became very popular through the time that Julius Caesar even used it to calm his epilepsy. So many men from the ancient Greek and Roman times are responsible for the development of medicine that Asclepius the god who was responsible for the emerging medical profession his holy snake and staff still remain the symbol of medical profession
Hippocrates
Hippocrates of cos (460-375 B.C) was generally known as the father of modern medicine (salvo 2007). Hippocrates had little known about him but what is known is that he had his own medical school and had published many books although much of the work was dedicated to him by members of the Hippocratic School. There were great debates toward the value of therapeutic massage and Hippocrates actually stated in one of his essays that “the physician must be must be skilled at many things and particularly friction” (salvo 2007) from this they thought that Hippocrates was a very firm believer in the aid of massage.
Galen
Galen of Pergamon (130 to 200 A..D) was a prominent roman physician and philosopher and probably the most accomplished medical researcher of roman times. (Wikipedia). Galen’s theory’s and idea’s dominated western medical science for well over 1000 years! One of Galen’s most prominent studies was the use of baths and massage after physical activity.
Ling
Pehr Henrik Ling (1776-1839) created his own method of healing known as the Ling system or Swedish movement cure, Lings primary focus was that gymnastics could help disease and injury. This was done by having the client go through range of movements e.g. exercise, Also passive movements which were done to the patient by the therapist, and then there was resistive training having resistance on the movement. Ling also used massage as part of his format this is how he got the name as the father of Swedish massage(Salvo 2007).
Mezger
Johan Mezger(1817-1893) was a Dutch physician who first incorporated massage into becoming part of physical rehabilitation. Mezger also has been credited to naming strokes such as effleurage, petrissage, and tapotment (salvo 2007).
Kellogg
John Harvey (1852-1943) wrote many books and articles on massage and published Good Health a magazine that targeted the general public.
Efforts by men such as Kellogg have been responsible for making massage therapy popular in the U.S.A (salvo 2007).
Vodder
Emil Vodder (1886-1936) created lymphology, Mr and Mrs Vodder decided to study the lymphatic system even though it was taboo by the medical profession, from there they created and developed careful hand techniques that cause lymph movement. This technique was called manual lymph drainage (Wikipedia).
Maori massage
The name for Maori massage is mirimiri, the use mirimiri dates back centuries herbal or animal oils were often used as the lubricants for the massage. There are 3 main types of Maori massage roromi, toto, and takahi. Roromi was practiced by the women and involved wringing and pinching of the muscle. Toto was a form of infant massage and was often used to change their body structurally. The belief of takahi was that if you were good at this you were born by a breach birth (feet first) takahi involved walking on peoples sore parts of their body(Riley 1994).
If you take all these facts on board Maori massage has parts to it that link from western and eastern sides. You would look at it thinking the wringing and pinching as a type of petrissage and the use of structural change would be like manipulation.
Massage scandals of the 1800’s
From what I have found there was a massive massage scandal around 1884 when there were reports that physicians’ were sceptical about whether massage therapist where truly doing any good and they were just stealing medical physicians patients. This would have damaged the name of massage and most like business would have decrease.
The development of professional massage in New Zealand
The Maori had been practicing massage for centuries from there New Zealand followed suit of Australia, According to Anderson in (1977) there were over 300 massage therapist throughout the country in the early 1900’s some of these people had qualifications gained from overseas others just trained under self appointed teachers. In 1913 Dunedin hospital had its very own massage department. In 1985 a man named Bill Wareham called all the massage therapist of Auckland to discuss the opening of the massage institute of New Zealand Incorporated, from there he then opened another office in Wellington, they run conferences on how to up- grade skills and all sorts. A man named Jim Sanford then organized a meeting for practitioners from all around the country to come and discuss making a governing body of massage it later became the New Zealand Association of Therapeutic Massage.(riley 1994)
Contemporary massage
Massage has grown so much that there are 1000s of different styles and there are only going to be more of these as long as man looks to study different things.
All ancient strokes are still used in most aspects of massage such as effleurage for most types of work such as lube spreading and warming of the tissue.
Body-mind-soul
From mostly what Have said about the eastern side of massage is all about the wellbeing of the persons soul and that when the focus on certain point they can change a person’s energy levels this differs alot to the western side when they see it from scientific point of view which is what you see is what you get.
References
Tuchtan, V. Tuchtan C. and Stelfox, D. (2004) Foundations of Massage, 2nd Edition. Australia: Southwood Press Pty Ltd.
Salvo, S. (2007). Massage Therapy: Principles and Practice (3rd Ed.). St Louis, United States: Saunders.
www.wikipedia.com
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Sustainable massage practice
Sustainable massage practice
When I see the word sustainable the meaning long lasting pops into my head http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sustainable says it means capable of being continued with minimal long – term effect on the environment.
What does sustainability have to do with being a massage therapist? Being part of relaxation massage I know now you have to have a very clear mind and healthy soul and awareness of your own body so that your massage career can last. So when treating a client making sure they see that you take care of yourself and of mother- nature can really make a difference to a clients view on you as a therapist.
Ways that a massage therapist can look after their environment would be really to look into what they use, researching the back round of the oils or waxes they use to see if they are natural or just made out of chemicals, finding out the difference between having a wooden or a metal massage table and thinking about how long they would last and then what would happen to them when thrown away, Also about using power do you dry your towels in the dryer or limit your clients per day to natural dry your towels, little things like using low energy light bulbs are nice easy way keep that power bill down and keep karma on your side.
Another huge thing that is becoming ever increasing is recycling this is a great chance for any business to give something back of what they use to make their foot print in the world ever smaller, this doesn’t just have to stop at putting recycling out it can be by using recycled products such as rubbish bags or plastic containers more than once.
When thinking about keeping a sustainable social network I see it as not being the lone solider helping other networks out that can help you, like always buying supplies like wax oil etc from one store in return they may recommend you to their customers. Or it could be building relationships with local physio-therapist so that when doing referrals to them they will refer back to you with some of their clients. I guess it’s a bit like the old saying “if you scratch my back I will scratch yours”. The more networks you have as a therapist can determine how long you may survive in the business because is all about sustainability!
Economic sustainability is all about making ends meet to make a profit at the end, with saying that I mean as a therapist there are absolute necessities that we have to have our clinic, lubricant ,towels, and power! So in order to be able to have these things we have to be able to sell our services using the power of word of mouth is a great way to get your business known around a area and also using those network relationships properly can insure that you always have a steady client base to maximise profit. Other ways in which to be sustainable would be to have a service no one else has with lower prices or deals that are not available with our parties.
Things that I will do to make my massage practice sustainable will be to
- Have wide network relationships, I feel this is the key to getting new clients and word of mouth round.
- Use renewable resources such as containers pillows and fabrics to cut my prices so that the customer can have a better service cheaper.
- Use natural resources like my lubricants and tables so that people can see that I am trying to make a difference.
When I see the word sustainable the meaning long lasting pops into my head http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sustainable says it means capable of being continued with minimal long – term effect on the environment.
What does sustainability have to do with being a massage therapist? Being part of relaxation massage I know now you have to have a very clear mind and healthy soul and awareness of your own body so that your massage career can last. So when treating a client making sure they see that you take care of yourself and of mother- nature can really make a difference to a clients view on you as a therapist.
Ways that a massage therapist can look after their environment would be really to look into what they use, researching the back round of the oils or waxes they use to see if they are natural or just made out of chemicals, finding out the difference between having a wooden or a metal massage table and thinking about how long they would last and then what would happen to them when thrown away, Also about using power do you dry your towels in the dryer or limit your clients per day to natural dry your towels, little things like using low energy light bulbs are nice easy way keep that power bill down and keep karma on your side.
Another huge thing that is becoming ever increasing is recycling this is a great chance for any business to give something back of what they use to make their foot print in the world ever smaller, this doesn’t just have to stop at putting recycling out it can be by using recycled products such as rubbish bags or plastic containers more than once.
When thinking about keeping a sustainable social network I see it as not being the lone solider helping other networks out that can help you, like always buying supplies like wax oil etc from one store in return they may recommend you to their customers. Or it could be building relationships with local physio-therapist so that when doing referrals to them they will refer back to you with some of their clients. I guess it’s a bit like the old saying “if you scratch my back I will scratch yours”. The more networks you have as a therapist can determine how long you may survive in the business because is all about sustainability!
Economic sustainability is all about making ends meet to make a profit at the end, with saying that I mean as a therapist there are absolute necessities that we have to have our clinic, lubricant ,towels, and power! So in order to be able to have these things we have to be able to sell our services using the power of word of mouth is a great way to get your business known around a area and also using those network relationships properly can insure that you always have a steady client base to maximise profit. Other ways in which to be sustainable would be to have a service no one else has with lower prices or deals that are not available with our parties.
Things that I will do to make my massage practice sustainable will be to
- Have wide network relationships, I feel this is the key to getting new clients and word of mouth round.
- Use renewable resources such as containers pillows and fabrics to cut my prices so that the customer can have a better service cheaper.
- Use natural resources like my lubricants and tables so that people can see that I am trying to make a difference.
Ethics of professional practice
Ethics of professional practice
So what are ethics and what do they have to do with massage? Ethics are the rules of conduct recognized in respect to particular class of human actions or particular groups.( www.dictionary.com)
So what do they have to do with massage? To have a successful massage clinic having good or bad ethics will make you or brake you! Good ethics is doing things by the book being completing all tasks in a order that will best suit the client involved and always doing things to the best of your ability.
Client centred care
Quickest way to sum this up would be to say it’s all about the client! Everything you do should be having their needs in mind from explaining what you are going to do or in how you drape them. Everything the client says should be taken on board and taken care of. The client should not feel surprised by anything and feel relaxed and at ease all because of how professional you are.
Informed consent
Informed consent is all about letting the client know what is going on and for them to open up to the therapist , by stating what they would like or what they have wrong (contraindications) with them so that the therapist can make a treatment plan or know not to go near some areas. Informed consent also lets the therapist have written consent to treat someone this very professional but yet allows you to know your client better.
Scope of practise
It’s all about staying within your boundaries! Being a real professional means you do what you have been trained to do and you do it well, doing things that you are not trained to do can result in a serious injury to the client.
Showing your qualification in your massage room reassures the client that they are in good hands and again shows that the therapist knows what they are doing. This is another way of showing good ethics to make a client comfortable.
Confidentiality
Everything that is said to a massage therapist should always be said in confidence that it will not leave the room, this should be the case for the entire session from what is said before during and after the massage. All records of clients past and present should be kept away from the public and locked away in filling cabinet to stop people getting hold of confidential information.
Boundaries
Boundaries should be set in place by the therapist from the word go. Being a professional means that the boundaries are set for touch speech and manor and should be stuck to because giving the wrong impression can effect your business reputation.
Power Differentials
Being a true professional means that you are in charge of the situation and know what your doing is best for that client. Clients feel alot more at peace when they know that the therapist has taken care of the situation all part of using good ethics.
Relationships
Being a successful massage therapist means you need to have a lot of professional relationships with people but the line between therapist and client should not be crossed and should be always kept in mind. When meeting with a client you do need to build a relationship with them so that they can open up and feel relaxed with you.
Transference and counter transference.
Transference can happen when client steps over the professional boundaries and asks things that are on a personal level the therapist may not be aware that this is happening but never the less it has to be easily directed in another way.Counter transference can happen when the therapist gets in over their head and may think something is happening and feel guilt about this .these feelings can be felt through the massage so its best to keep the mind on the job and stay professional.
So what are ethics and what do they have to do with massage? Ethics are the rules of conduct recognized in respect to particular class of human actions or particular groups.( www.dictionary.com)
So what do they have to do with massage? To have a successful massage clinic having good or bad ethics will make you or brake you! Good ethics is doing things by the book being completing all tasks in a order that will best suit the client involved and always doing things to the best of your ability.
Client centred care
Quickest way to sum this up would be to say it’s all about the client! Everything you do should be having their needs in mind from explaining what you are going to do or in how you drape them. Everything the client says should be taken on board and taken care of. The client should not feel surprised by anything and feel relaxed and at ease all because of how professional you are.
Informed consent
Informed consent is all about letting the client know what is going on and for them to open up to the therapist , by stating what they would like or what they have wrong (contraindications) with them so that the therapist can make a treatment plan or know not to go near some areas. Informed consent also lets the therapist have written consent to treat someone this very professional but yet allows you to know your client better.
Scope of practise
It’s all about staying within your boundaries! Being a real professional means you do what you have been trained to do and you do it well, doing things that you are not trained to do can result in a serious injury to the client.
Showing your qualification in your massage room reassures the client that they are in good hands and again shows that the therapist knows what they are doing. This is another way of showing good ethics to make a client comfortable.
Confidentiality
Everything that is said to a massage therapist should always be said in confidence that it will not leave the room, this should be the case for the entire session from what is said before during and after the massage. All records of clients past and present should be kept away from the public and locked away in filling cabinet to stop people getting hold of confidential information.
Boundaries
Boundaries should be set in place by the therapist from the word go. Being a professional means that the boundaries are set for touch speech and manor and should be stuck to because giving the wrong impression can effect your business reputation.
Power Differentials
Being a true professional means that you are in charge of the situation and know what your doing is best for that client. Clients feel alot more at peace when they know that the therapist has taken care of the situation all part of using good ethics.
Relationships
Being a successful massage therapist means you need to have a lot of professional relationships with people but the line between therapist and client should not be crossed and should be always kept in mind. When meeting with a client you do need to build a relationship with them so that they can open up and feel relaxed with you.
Transference and counter transference.
Transference can happen when client steps over the professional boundaries and asks things that are on a personal level the therapist may not be aware that this is happening but never the less it has to be easily directed in another way.Counter transference can happen when the therapist gets in over their head and may think something is happening and feel guilt about this .these feelings can be felt through the massage so its best to keep the mind on the job and stay professional.
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