Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/530196
gluteal massage should be part of core curriculum. I would encourage all entry-level programs to teach it. This way they can ensure that their graduating students know how to discuss it with clients in a professional manner and how to drape and apply strokes in a way that preserves the client's modesty," she says. Longtime educator Erik Dalton says while he feels massage therapists should indeed err on the side of caution when performing gluteal work because of possible misconstrued intentions and interactions, these somatic omissions are affecting the profession on an even deeper level: "What concerns me most is the absence of classes that teach adequate biomechanical and neurological assessment skills. Gluteal function is complex, multifaceted, and often not well understood. Therapists need to consider the dynamic function of the gluteals as they relate to the entire body during normal, everyday movements, not from an isolated, compartmentalized viewpoint," he says. "Hip musculature requires restoration of proper length-strength balance. Random deep-tissue or assisted stretching techniques may be detrimental to the therapeutic outcome if the gluteals are already neurologically inhibited. I believe there is a need to focus on teaching better functional biomechanics and improving our hip-assessment skills." DO NO HARM "It is pretty clear this (trend) is coming out of a fear-based model of trying to avoid issues of inappropriate touch," says author and clinical massage educator Whitney Lowe. "However, it sure seems that if appropriate ethics and responsible practices are adhered to, this is much less of an issue. We are in a time now where massage has gone mainstream and many people are coming to get massage who have never had this type of touch therapy before. Many of them may be uncomfortable with work on the gluteal region because of perceived associations with the former 'shadow side' of massage. It seems like the only way to really address this issue is to talk about it a great deal more and also have more open discussion with clients." Ultimately, the conversation should come back to what we're denying the client as a result of these choices. Are we following best practices when we ignore this entire area of the client's body? And, from a more global professional perspective, are we doing a disservice to the future of the massage profession by diminishing the potential of the work today? "Let's face it, massage is no longer counterculture—it's big business," Riggs says. "I suppose restrictions on gluteal work could be ignored as just being a somewhat silly practice, but it is growing, and I fear it's symbolic of other possible trends to sacrifice high quality bodywork in deference to corporate interests. We aren't just depriving clients of good work when we skip important areas; we may be upsetting an integrated balance in the body and causing harm instead." CONFIDENCE IN THE WORK An important factor in this equation of best practices is a therapist's confidence, Lowe says. "If the therapist comes across as not being confident and being uncomfortable with the idea of working the gluteal region, that discomfort will be translated to the client and could lead to them also not feeling confident with the therapist's work." New therapists are encouraged to practice their conversations, techniques, and draping protocols with family, friends, and colleagues. The more comfortable you are in delivering gluteal work, the better the outcome. And the payoff is worth it. "As soon as you do good work in that area, even the clients who may have been skeptical have an immediate awareness of how beneficial glute work is," says ABMP's Manager of Professional Development Kristin Coverly, LMT. "They feel the hypertonicity and imbalance as you're working the area and new clients are often surprised by that because these are not always muscles that scream at you when they're tight. New clients may not know what's happening with their glutes until you work them and create that awareness. But once they know, and understand, they want the work." She says it's also important to build and strengthen this awareness by talking about it with clients after the session as well. She asks clients, "Did you feel the tight muscles in your glutes as I worked them?" WHAT'S THE ANSWER? "I do empathize with the difficult position of spas and individual therapists to protect themselves from a litigious public," Riggs says. "But the answer is not to tie therapists' hands behind their backs with no-fly zones. I'll grant that for some, the gluteals are a 'private' area, and we all have to be careful and sensitive to our clients' feelings and concerns. But the answer is not universal prohibition. It seems to me that it makes much more sense to simply ask clients if there are any areas they would like you to keep away from during a session, rather than automatically depriving them of quality work. Don't build roadblocks out of assumptions." Coverly concurs. "Always work the glutes. Draped or undraped. Every session. They're so important! I honestly feel like I wouldn't be giving a complete session and would actually be doing clients an injustice by giving a session without that work." Karrie Osborn is senior editor at Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals. Contact her at karrie@abmp.com. GLUTES F r e e S O A P n o t e s w i t h M a s s a g e B o o k f o r A B M P m e m b e r s : a b m p . u s / M a s s a g e b o o k 59