Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/790815
C h e c k o u t A B M P 's l a t e s t n e w s a n d b l o g p o s t s . Av a i l a b l e a t w w w. a b m p . c o m . 31 TABLE LESSONS was seriously wrong, and a hemipelvis wasn't the source. Perhaps I, like his physician, got lost in interesting details that did not matter to his presenting symptoms. With Mr. M. prone, I was immediately struck by the quality of the tissue texture in his right hip, which had changed in one week. There was a circular 7-centimeter area of dense tissue with clear margins. I had his wife feel it with me, and she too looked perplexed. "What do you think that is?" she asked. "I have no idea," I admitted. "In almost 39 years, I have never felt anything like it, and that raises a large red fl ag for me. I don't know what this is, but it is time sensitive and needs to be addressed immediately. I don't mean to scare you, but I think you should see a different doctor who will look at this tissue and fi gure out what is going on. Do it tomorrow. The disc issue, the spondylolisthesis, and the hemipelvis are irrelevant." I felt bad seeing the alarm on their faces as they left my offi ce. What if I was wrong? Mr. M. emailed me three days later. He was diagnosed with stage 4 pelvic osteosarcoma and was leaving immediately for Johns Hopkins. In his email, he wrote that I was the only health-care provider who listened to him and did not make him feel like he was crazy. It was a compliment, but one with sad overtones. Providers heard neural symptoms and assumed the source must be spinal, even when other symptoms did not fi t that hypothesis. If it doesn't fi t, it isn't it. Don't try to make it fi t into the box. Look for other explanations. Listening closely to the client is a good place to start. Douglas Nelson is the founder and principal instructor for Precision Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars, president of the 16-therapist clinic BodyWork Associates in Champaign, Illinois, and a trustee for the Massage Therapy Foundation. His clinic, seminars, and research endeavors explore the science behind this work. Visit www.nmtmidwest.com, or email him at doug@nmtmidwest.com. Enjoy Giving Massage Again. deepfeet.com • 303-300-2511 Classes Nationwide. NCBTMB Approved. Change Your LIFE. Feel Your POWER. The ONLY true source dedicated to classical barefoot bar ashiatsu Est. 1995