Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/720675
a positive outlook on life, and touch has been shown to increase social bonds and cooperative behaviors. 17 Encourage prolonging the benefits of massage by teaching self-massage techniques, such as dry brushing, a beneficial technique for improving lymph and circulatory flow for inflammatory conditions and postcancer surgery. Avoid sensitive areas, cuts, infections, and wounds. Scars also benefit from manual lymph drainage. Keep the scars hydrated and instruct clients to rub them daily to limit adhesions and improve function. Self- massage and partner massage help emotionally when trauma is associated with scars, especially when surgery alters the normal geography, as with a mastectomy. Functional taping can be an effective self-care choice between sessions when the client is taught precise application techniques by the informed massage therapist. Many companies that sell kinesiology tape have precut strips for easy use. Make sure clients practice applications in your treatment room to ensure they understand proper joint position, tension of the tape, and how to reassess after self- application to monitor results. There are many tools that encourage and enable self- massage practices, such as canes, foam rollers, foot rollers, and massage sticks. The self-massage techniques previously mentioned are inherently gentle, but some people may be too aggressive when using tools. It is important to provide clear instructions to avoid pain and the inflammatory flare-up that often follows deep pressure. Be sure to caution against overworking a painful area. There are a few common tendencies with people in pain: ignore it, push through it, or overdo it when they find something that provides relief. Self-care education is about awareness, finding ways to touch and move that do not increase pain, and teaching people to notice and avoid triggers that increase pain, rather than avoiding or ignoring the pain itself. Movement Practices Massage modalities often include movement, and some massage therapists are certified in movement disciplines outside the traditional massage field. Some use movement as the primary technique, such as Active Isolated Stretching (AIS), Feldenkrais, and Trager, and others integrate movement techniques into the massage sessions, such as muscle energy technique, strain-counterstrain, and Aston-Patterning. Supported, comfortable movement in a session can increase clients' confidence in 92 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k s e p t e m b e r / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 6 specific techniques or modalities. There are limited studies that identify lymphatic techniques, scar massage, fascial work, and osteopathic or orthopedic techniques, among others, and the specific aspect of pain they are intended to influence. One large, randomized controlled trial compared full-body relaxation massage to site-specific treatment massage and found equal success in treating chronic low-back pain. 14 Never underestimate the effects of a general massage when short- term pain becomes a long-term problem because of pathologic changes in the central nervous system, altering our perception of pain and ability to manage stress. 15 Massage therapy may also satisfy social and mental health benefits while managing pain symptoms. Researchers showed that the neural correlates for pain and social rejection are expressed in the same brain region in the anterior cingulate cortex. 16 Massage can improve sleep, contributing to