Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68185
SCAR TISSUE RELEASE FOR TATTOOS When he stood up, his shoulders and head moved easily into alignment. that are prevalent now. Many of these were located over the sacrum. Every one of them, regardless of whether they were over the sacrum or on the shoulder or forearm, was adhered to the underlying tissue. My protocol has changed to include tattoos in postural charting, and releasing them precedes bodywork. a massage therapist in private practice since 2004. Certified in medical massage, as well as four other related disciplines, she specializes in clients with chronic pain that has proven unresponsive to more traditional approaches. Contact her at diane@focusedhealingtherapies.com. Diane Hovey, PhD, CMT, has been NOTES 1 Greg Williams, Pulling It All Together. For more information, email gregorywilliamscmt@yahoo.com. 2. Ibid. 3. Tracy Wilson, "How Tattoos Work," Howstuffworks. com. Available at http://health.howstuffworks. com/tattoo.htm (accessed July 1, 2010). an hour of skin rolling, J-strokes, and S-twists to free it completely from the fascia over the posterior deltoid, trapezius, infraspinatus, and teres minor.4 At the time, I thought the frequent shifts my client was making were more about his repositioning to become more comfortable on the table and perhaps escape some of the discomfort from so much release work. He commented at one point that he "felt longer," but from my perspective, there was no significant change. After his tattoo was released, a curious thing happened. The skin immediately below it lifted much more easily than it had when I comparison- tested it with the inked areas before starting the release work. The skin over L1–L5 had been glued down before the release work, but now, as I made a few quick passes down his back, the skin was much more pliable. I was completely unprepared for what came next. He shuddered slightly, then his body "collapsed" into the table and the roach-back effect disappeared. He broke the stunned silence by exclaiming, "My God, I can breathe!" When he stood up, his shoulders and head moved easily into alignment. He was obviously taller—by at least an inch if not more. A NEW PROTOCOL The work has held over the weeks since the release was completed. During that time, I began investigating the tattoos of my other clients, and those of other students in a scar tissue release class. Several of the women in class had rather delicate and modest designs colored with the lighter pastel colors connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 77 4. The J-stroke is similar to the stationary circle used in lymphatic work. First, check the skin in north, south, east, west directions to determine which two directions provide the most resistance to movement. Starting in the direction of greatest resistance, move the skin as far as it will go, then scoop the move into the second-most restricted direction. The pressure is firm in order to stretch and separate the adhesions and areas of actual scar tissue connection. The S-twist uses two hands working in opposite directions, but using the same moves. Engage the skin and rotate the hand medially without changing position on the body for the basic move. This puts a torquing motion into the tissue. The full move involves placing the hands 90 degrees to each other with the fingers of the right hand pointing toward the tips of the fingers of the left hand. When the hands move medially, there is an S-shape in the tissue.