Massage & Bodywork

MAY | JUNE 2015

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READER FORUM GROIN PULLS I have been a California massage therapist since 1998. Along the way, I studied and learned the Muscle Release Technique from Michael Young of Evergreen, Colorado. The column in the March/April 2015 issue of Massage & Bodywork, "Groin Pulls" by Whitney Lowe [Clinical Apps, page 90], puts into words the things I discovered working on athletes. His article is the first I have ever read on that subject. My experience with groin pulls came while serving a football team. An injured player was helped to the table off the practice field. I had no idea how to treat that first client. He was in severe pain and needed help walking. I applied the same principle used to release other cramps and spasms in various muscles to the groin area and surrounding muscles. That first client's treatment was very painful for a few seconds as his buddy held him in place on the table. Then, he breathed easily, got up from the table, ran back out onto the practice field, and finished practice. I have learned much in making the treatment easier for the client since that first experience. The method used now has been improved so it is uncomfortable, but not painful. I have addressed several groin pulls in male and female athletes and they all benefit greatly from a single treatment. The sooner the injury is treated after the injury (strain) occurs, the easier it is to relieve. Thank you for your helpful publication. TOM SUDERMAN VISALIA, CALIFORNIA CLOSING SESSIONS I enjoyed reading how therapists close their sessions [Tips for Today, "How Do You Close Your Sessions?" by Brandon Twyford, March/April 2015, page 20]. Over the years, my closing techniques have changed. My most recent opening and closing in my private practice begins when I step into the massage room. I gently tap the Woodstock Hanging Gong I have hanging from the light fixture at the foot of the table three times, signaling the beginning of the session. After finishing the massage, I softly ring my Tingsha cymbals at the foot of the table, letting the client know the session has ended. Then, I leave the room. VIOLA CROWDER-MOGER KILLEEN, TEXAS MAHALO MESENTERY! I just wanted to say a big mahalo for doing the article on the mesentery system [Myofascial Techniques, "Working with the Mesentery," by Til Luchau, March/ April 2015, page 106]. As a practitioner of lomilomi, the abdomen is the key area of concentration, and where the Hawaiian people believe all ailments begin. Reading your article just added another layer of understanding to this ancient art form in a scientific way that makes total sense. Great job! SASCHA K. THOMPSON, LMT PUNALUU, OAHU Access the digital edition archives at www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. EMAIL YOUR LETTERS TO EDITOR@ABMP.COM. INCLUDE YOUR FULL NAME AND THE CITY AND STATE IN WHICH YOU RESIDE. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EDIT LETTERS FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY.

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