Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/969285
A B M P m e m b e r s e a r n F R E E C E a t w w w. a b m p . c o m / c e b y r e a d i n g M a s s a g e & B o d y w o r k m a g a z i n e 67 keeps sane by running but has a serious knee injury that ensures a worsening injury if she keeps running. Sometimes the news is worse and the person has to give up something they love permanently if they want to avoid further destruction of their body. I have had to give this news many times to clients who loved their soccer, ninja warrior training, gymnastics, or skiing. The therapist's ability to gently convey this bad news and come up with alternative strategies to help the client through this tough period is crucial. In order to effectively treat clients with pain, therapists must receive extensive training to ensure that they are proficient in all the areas described above. Without this expertise, it is dangerous for practitioners to treat clients with musculoskeletal injuries. Notes 1. Dixie Wall, "Claims of Commission," Massage Today 8, no. 10 (October 2008), www.massagetoday.com/ mpacms/mt/article.php?id=13873. 2. Eric Berg, "The Hidden Source of Your Neck and/or Shoulder Pain," Dr. Berg (blog), www.drberg.com/blog/ the-hidden-source-of-your-neck-and-or-shoulder-pain. 3. "Signs and Symptoms of Lung Cancer," American Cancer Society, last revised February 22, 2016, accessed February 2018, www.cancer.org/ cancer/lung-cancer/prevention-and-early- detection/signs-and-symptoms.html. 4. "Gonorrhea Symptoms," STD Test Express, last reviewed March 28, 2017, accessed February 2018, www.stdtestexpress.com/symptoms-of-gonorrhea. Ben E. Benjamin holds a PhD in sports medicine and owned and ran a massage school for over 30 years. He has studied under James Cyriax, MD, widely known for his pioneering work in orthopedic medicine. Dr. Benjamin has been teaching therapists how to work with injuries for over 35 years and has been in private practice for over 50 years. He works as an expert witness in cases involving both musculoskeletal injury and sexual abuse in a massage therapy setting. He is the author of dozens of articles on working with injuries, as well as these widely used books in the field: Listen To Your Pain, Are You Tense?, and Exercise Without Injury. becomes evident very quickly and can be addressed in a customized manner. It is quite time consuming, but it's a very successful method of training. Self-Study, Online Training, and DVD Learning Self-study can be an effective part of the learning process for student practitioners who are disciplined and motivated self- starters. This can be through online courses, webinars, or repeat viewings of training DVDs. The advantages of this type of learning are that the person can move at their own pace. The limits are that many students cannot learn effectively unless they are in a physical classroom environment or with a private instructor. The biggest downside of this type of learning is that it is hard to know if you are accurately finding the anatomical structures, or if you are doing the assessment and treatment techniques correctly. This learning process is most useful when it is combined and coordinated with in-class learning of the same material or in conjunction with private learning sessions where the instructor can check whether the student is doing the hands-on work and assessment testing correctly. I have often been surprised by how well the material is learned when I give a private session after online or DVD learning. I have also been horrified when giving a lesson to a student who thinks they have correctly learned the material but perform most of the testing procedures incorrectly, with too much or too little pressure, and cannot accurately find the anatomical structures. I have found that this method of training is best used to supplement classroom, mentorship, or private training. Communication Skills Training If you are a therapist who treats people in pain, you often have difficult news to convey. You may have a client who loves to play tennis but has a shoulder injury where serving and forehand strokes are out of the question for 6–8 weeks. Or a client who Then, the team of student practitioners thinks through the findings together to determine what is injured and whether hands-on therapy is appropriate, or whether a referral to another discipline is more appropriate. This is all best done under the live supervision of a skilled instructor. Then, the student practitioners apply treatment, if appropriate, under supervision. Mentorship In a mentorship setting, the student practitioner brings in a client and does all these aforementioned steps, while the mentor watches and steps in when needed. This is a relationship that usually lasts a long time and allows for deeper development of every aspect of learning, from accurate palpation and correct technique and pressure in treatment to theoretical understanding and critical thinking. A mentorship will also develop the student practitioner's ability to connect and communicate effectively with the client. I have trained a number of people as a mentor or with a combination of classroom learning and mentorship. It is a very effective training model. Classroom Learning Learning in a classroom or workshop setting is the traditional way we have trained people in this profession. The advantages are many. It is cost effective, there are peers to study and learn with, and you get to practice finding all the anatomical structures and different techniques on many different body types. It is a live setting, so you can ask questions and get immediate help and feedback from an instructor. Private Training One-on-one private training has other benefits, especially for those who need to move at their own pace, either slower or faster than others. The most useful aspect of private training is that the student practitioner does every palpation, assessment test, and treatment technique on the instructor. In private training, whatever weaknesses the student has "Advanced Deep Tissue Muscular Therapy Techniques: Shoulder and Knee" with Ben Benjamin walks you through anatomy palpation and muscular therapy techniques. ABMP members earn free CE! www.abmp.com/ce.