All posts by Ian Harvey

Massage Video: Working with Shoulder Pain After Surgery

Here’s a new video about how I work with postsurgical shoulder pain. I talk about my strategy, and I demonstrate specific techniques for working gently from a myofascial perspective:

I’d like to highlight something that’s changed for me in my practice: While I do explore the client’s range of motion, I do my best to avoid those painful end-points. Over the course of my career, I’ve found that mobilization can work just as well (or better!) when it’s done painlessly. If done patiently and with good communication, it can be a way of demonstrating to the client that safe movement is possible. I’ve frequently had clients stand up with a greater comfortable range of motion despite the fact that I didn’t try to increase that ROM on the table! ... continue reading.

Massage Technique Video: The “Mother Hand”

This week I have a deep tissue massage technique video for you:

This is about using a “mother hand”: A broad and comforting hand applied while doing other techniques.

But that’s easy for me to say. For new massage therapists, having two hands doing two different tasks can be quite the juggling act. I remember how taxing it was to keep my feet moving, my posture not-terrible, and my hands conforming to the surface of the body, all while anticipating what my next move would be.

As I mention in the video, this is something that takes time. There’s an interesting phenomenon called automatization, wherein the cerebellum recognizes frequently repeated tasks over the course of many repetitions, and slowly takes over those tasks from the cerebral cortex. This is what allows you to tie your shoes while humming the theme song from Game of Thrones: the automaticity of the behaviors reduces the amount of attention needed. ... continue reading.

Massage Video: Deep Tissue Basics (Applying Pressure and Making Contact)

This one goes back to the basics. How to apply pressure during a deep tissue massage:

I’d like to talk a bit more about that “first contact” that I mention in the video. This is something that I discussed at length in my live Facebook video from yesterday: That first contact is an opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the massage, and for the entirety of your therapeutic relationship.

Everything else is important, of course. Your initial interview can do a lot to open lines of honest communication, which is vital if you’re going to give your client the best massage possible. The whole massage will tell a story and give the client a better concept of their own body. Your conversation afterward can make the client feel heard and fully considered. ... continue reading.

Video: Does Massage Flush Toxins?

Does massage flush toxins? Does it break up lactic acid? Check out my new video on the topic:

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know the ending. The whole “toxin” thing is a persistent myth, and it’s based on a misunderstanding of our internal environment. It assumes that there are areas of stagnation within muscles, and that these areas need to be wrung out so that fresh fluid can pump in. The fact is that the body is constantly refreshing the fluid between and within cells, especially highly vascular tissue like muscle. With every heartbeat and every little movement, circulation carries on.

I want to make one thing clear: I get it. The idea of stagnant fluid makes sense. After all, we get up and feel stiff. Doesn’t that mean that the muscle itself is stiff? The toxin thing makes a kind of sense too. If we feel pain, or just feel heavy or tired, doesn’t something need to be flushed out? ... continue reading.

Massage Tutorial Video: Abdominal Massage, the Vagus Nerve, and Belly Breathing

New massage tutorial video! This one has an abdominal massage demonstration… but it’s really about interacting with the parasympathetic nervous system:

It’s pretty common to abandon abdominal massage after massage school. After all, we have to deal with chest draping, clients sometimes feel self-conscious about the area, and it’s rarely requested. All this is true, but there’s one type of client who I’ll always suggest ab work to: Those with major stress, and those who are there for the psychological benefits of massage.

You see, interacting with the belly, whether via kind contact or through diaphragmatic breathing, sends signals to the enteric nervous system (the portion of the peripheral nervous system innervating the gut). The body devotes a LOT of neurological resources to the digestive tract, receiving constant updates on every square inch of the colon, sending signals about the speed of peristalsis, deciding whether a sphincter should stay closed, etc. ... continue reading.