Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/72312
APPRECIATING CLIENTS' HEALTH CHALLENGES While numerous studies confirm the usefulness of massage as a tool for total health, recent research explores the potential value of bodywork as a means to a higher quality of life for people living with health challenges. In the case of FM, a new Zealand study highlighted how massage therapy can bestow higher pain tolerances and lessen negative emotions.1, 2 People with PD may find living easier and, embedded within a particular therapy, the possibility of a normal appearance.3, 4 And with the help of massage, people with MS may complete daily living tasks.5 It's common for clientele with FM, PD, and MS to endorse massage as a valuable component in their struggle to keep life normal. "Massage therapy twice a month has been part of my overall healthcare plan for ten years," says Gloria, an Ohio mother of three and grandmother of six who was diagnosed with FM thirty years ago. "It is not a cure-all. However, an hour of treatment improves blood circulation and removes toxins from my body." With research like that above demonstrating the effectiveness of bodywork, techniques targeted for special conditions should be basic knowledge for therapists, right? Unfortunately, the answer is no. "I've had several different therapists over the years and only one knew something more about fibromyalgia than that it existed," Gloria says. "And she only had more knowledge than the others because her therapist ex-husband specialized in fibromyalgia patients." When presented with clients who need special treatment, like Gloria, massage therapists may find themselves in uncharted waters. "Most therapists don't really know a great deal about pathological conditions and, therefore, will be uneasy about dealing with adverse health conditions," says Whitney Lowe, director of the Orthopedic Massage Education & Research Institute (OMERI) in Sisters, Oregon. He advises bodywork professionals to admit to clients when they don't know much about a condition and, then, to get as much information as possible. That way, they can make more informed judgments about what type of massage interventions might be appropriate. Until training and education correspond with research and necessity, therapists will have to rely on the words and wisdom of their more experienced peers. "In school, aside from not massaging arthritic areas during a flare- up, we didn't cover conditions," says Christy Wilson, a licensed massage therapist with a practice in the Los Colinas area of the Dallas Metroplex. Wilson credits advanced study and years of practical experience with making her feel comfortable treating clients with significant ailments. Tracey Dronet, a licensed massage therapist in Frisco, Texas, agrees. "School taught the basics of touch, as well as the possibilities of our profession. But my real education began with my first client and continues with each subsequent client." At his school, Tony Scanu, a massage When presented with clients who need special treatment, massage therapists may find themselves in uncharted waters. 94 massage & bodywork january/february 2008 therapist at the Center for Natural Wellness in Guilderland, New York, says the students learned some general facts about special conditions, "but not nearly enough. We didn't go over particular syndromes or how to resolve them with bodywork." To increase his knowledge base, Scanu attends workshops. He researches diseases either with books or on the Internet. Then, he supplements those sources with articles by industry gurus like Whitney Lowe and Ben E. Benjamin. "They explain clearly and in detail the exact procedures for specific complaints," Scanu says. "If I'm concerned with contraindications, I use A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology by Ruth Werner." Continuing education workshops and academic and peer-reviewed periodicals like the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, and Complementary Therapies in Medicine offer the best venues for learning about various diseases and provide cutting- edge research and a glimpse into coming trends for those in the field.