Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68175
JOIN ART RIGGS AND ASSOCIATED BODYWORK & MASSAGE PROFESSIONALS ON JULY 21 FOR A FREE WEBINAR DISCUSSING THIS FEATURE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT ABMP.COM. Applying force distally allows short hamstrings to lengthen and also allows for the additional benefit of decompressing the hip joint. The left hand can facilitate the stretch by moving in the same direction or can anchor tight fascia proximally to localize the stretch. The issue of pain is emotionally a rope in a tug of war—you only need enough pressure in your grip to hold the rope; any additional pressure will only cause tension and waste energy. ALLOW FOR REST A friend once gave me some excellent advice: "In life, as in music, the rests are as important as the notes." I apply this wisdom to my sessions. Intense work has a cumulative drain on the nervous system and the energy of the client to cooperate. When performing intense work, I give frequent short breaks where I actually just break contact, or I lighten my touch or do feel-good work to nearby areas. This allows for a rest and the chance to evaluate, appreciate, and solidify the good work you have performed. It is difficult for the gelatin to set if it is constantly stirred. WORK TOWARD THE CORE The areas that need the most work are often the most defensive and have a lower pain threshold. You can gain the trust of your client by beginning work in less sensitive areas on the periphery and extending the relaxed area into the core of holding rather than starting at the epicenter. CONTACT LARGE AREAS Use your non-dominant hand to broaden your contact; this gives the brain some other input to consider and can actually direct attention away from sensitive areas. DIRECT YOUR STROKES Students who often cling to earlier Swedish or Esalen massage training— where the emphasis is on working distally to proximally—may conflict with therapeutic goals of distracting joints and lengthening muscles away from their origins. I have my students apply the same pressure to sensitive areas and they are surprised how much more comfortable the stroke feels when moving in the direction of muscle lengthening (usually distally). Applying significant force to muscles such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, iliotibial band, rotators, and gluteals in the direction of lengthening allows them to stretch and relax, rather than buckling them into a shortened position. charged, both for our clients and ourselves. It is important to realize that pain, albeit with lots of real, variable, and emotional considerations, also has a great deal of cultural judgment. I see absolutely no purpose or benefit from imposing unnecessary discomfort in a session. However, fibrosed tissue or long-held contraction may need considerable patient force near the threshold of discomfort. Don't berate yourself if you occasionally overstep the limits of your clients' sensitivity. As my Catholic friends remind me, "It isn't a sin unless you enjoy it." For intense work, a careful dialogue—both with your touch and your unique relationship with each person—of communication and negotiation (rather than coercion) in intense work can spell the difference between an overcautious lost opportunity and profound release. Deep Tissue Massage: a Visual Guide to Techniques, which has been translated into seven languages, and the acclaimed seven volume DVD series Deep Tissue Massage and Myofascial Release: A Video Guide to Techniques. This article is part of an expanded chapter in an upcoming textbook edited by Erik Dalton. You may visit Riggs' website at www.deeptissuemassagemanual.com. Art Riggs is the author of the textbook connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 43