Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68165
PLEASE EMAIL YOUR LETTERS TO EDITOR@ABMP.COM. INCLUDE YOUR FULL NAME AND THE CITY AND STATE IN WHICH YOU RESIDE. UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE UNABLE TO PUBLISH ALL THE LETTERS WE RECEIVE. MASSAGE & BODYWORK STAFF RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT LETTERS FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY. incorporates some of the modalities that I have learned, but my work is still very much Swedish in style and intent. I will admit that I do very little tapotement, mostly because my instructors seemed to be less enthusiastic about its use. Yet, I am always amazed by the number of times that I use friction and vibration and the number of times therapists who are clients comment that those are strokes they do not use as much. While I do use several techniques that are not Swedish, those techniques are used to supplement the sessions. The long, slow strokes of effleurage seem to help in releasing even the most tight muscles, and I know that vibration has been wonderful to release knots and adhesions. It forever amazes me how many therapists I know think that the aggressive techniques they associate with deep tissue are the only way to achieve muscle release. I have stolen several clients who have felt better after a session with me since the soreness is not present that they somehow have learned is necessary for a massage to be effective. Part of the reason I suspect that Swedish has fallen out of favor is the approach taught at schools where Swedish is considered effective only as a prelude to "deeper, more effective work," as well as the prevalent comments about "fluff and buff." It is a real shame from my perspective. BILL KULBICKI BALTIMORE, MARYLAND Thank you for your article bringing light to the benefits of Swedish massage. I have been saying the same thing for a while—that Swedish massage has somehow gotten lost. I went to school at the Swedish Institute in Manhattan in 1985 (egad!) and received classic Swedish training, along with some shiatsu (because that's what was on the licensing exam). It was a foundation that served me well coming out of school and allowed me to build other things into it over the years. But whenever someone refers to Swedish as somehow less therapeutic or that it's "only relaxing," I speak up. You've done a great service in educating our community that properly applied Swedish is not second rate or a consolation prize, and that it's not for the unskilled. It actually seems strange to me CE HOURS- At Home! www.massagetherapyceu.com More than 25 CE courses to choose from including: CE hours 20 18 16 Reiki 15 Deep Tissue Massage $165 12 12 12 Pregnancy Massage $149 9 8 Craniosacral Therapy $90 8 7 Fibromyalgia 6 Aromatherapy Thai Yoga Massage $130 Acupressure Reflexology Chair Massage 6 Professional Ethics $70 5 Carpal Tunnel 2 Medical Errors HIV/AIDS $75 $70 $95 $90 4 Ethics for the CMT $44 4 Pharmacology 3 2 Ethics (Standard V) $25 $34 $25 $55 $40 • Online Testing • Instant Certificates • NCBTMB Approved • Save Time • Save Money $125 Sports Massage $210 Trigger Point Therapy $190 $170 Tuition that massage schools now offer so many things, as each can stand as a discipline on its own. I wonder how students come out of school with a firm enough grasp to be proficient. Your article offers much food for thought and useful reminders for those of us long out of school. LINDA NATANAGARA OCEAN, NEW JERSEY Functional Anatomy I just wanted to let ABMP know how much I enjoy the Christy Cael Functional Anatomy column in Massage & Bodywork. The articles are succinct yet informative. In fact, I have started collecting them in a binder for quick reference. Thanks for a great magazine. MARYANNE GILBERT GOLDEN, COLORADO Approved by the NCBTMB (409296-00) and the Florida Board. Accepted by the AMTA, ABMP and most state boards. Call 866-784-5940 Today! connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 15