Category Archives: Massage Video

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.

Massage Tutorial Video: Sciatica Myofascial Release Techniques

Today’s massage tutorial video is on sciatica pain and how to deal with it from a myofascial perspective:

You’ll notice that I don’t spend much time focusing on piriformis or any of the hip rotators. I don’t target the lumbar paraspinals or the sacrum. Instead, I encompass all of these areas in broad “steamroller” techniques that grab the fascia and give it some traction. I’ve had much more success with this approach than any specific neuromuscular work.

I also include some mobilization of the hip as I work, bringing it into different angles of rotation and abduction. While I can’t affect any disc dysfunction that might be present, I do think that I can work with spasm and hypertonicity down the line. Nothing in the body happens in isolation—if there’s nerve impingement near the spine, there’s tight muscle and hypersensitivity nearby, and we can work with that! ... continue reading.

Video: 4 shoulder/neck stretches for your massage clients

Do you offer self-care to your clients? I’ve always been a big proponent of a little homework, and over the years I’ve come up with stretches that seem to help with pain, and that clients will actually follow through with:

And that’s what I’d like to talk about today—how to get clients to actually do self-care. In the world of medicine and physical therapy, this is called “compliance” or “treatment adherence,” and it can often make all the difference to patient outcomes. And still, it’s really hard to get patients to do exercises, take their pills, etc!

What hope do we have if people won’t even take a whole course of antibiotics? As massage therapists, we have a unique opportunity to bring our clients on board. I don’t just give a stretch printed on a piece of paper and see my client out the door. Instead, I relate it back to the massage I just gave: “Remember the tight muscles in your chest and shoulders? Those muscles are important for upper back pain.” We’ve just given the client a great deal of information about their body through massage, and that’s a much better motivator than “because I said so.” ... continue reading.

Massage Tutorial Video: Reflexology basics, techniques, & routine

This week’s massage tutorial video is on reflexology basics. Now, I should point out that this is my version of reflexology—I’ve long since forgotten most everything about meridians and organ reflex zones, but I’ve been using the techniques for a decade now. This routine feels great, and it seems to create a more profound client experience than your typical Swedish foot massage.

So, does reflexology “work”? That’s a question that I hear from clients and therapists alike. I think people are asking if we can really influence distant organs by interacting with the foot, and I don’t know the answer to that question. I do know that the technique feels vastly different than the stripping and compression that we’re used to. I know that the rhythmic press, press, press of reflexology has an interesting effect on my body and mind, making me feel floaty and dreamy (and making my feet feel fantastic). In this way, I can emphatically say that, yes, reflexology works. ... continue reading.

Massage Therapist Self-Care Video: Wrist Pain

This week’s video is on self-treatment for wrist pain. It’s specifically for massage therapists, but I imagine there’s some good info in there for other people.

The information in this video should be pretty safe for any non-traumatic wrist injury, whether it’s a persistent ache after increasing your daily workload, or pain following a “tweak” during a deep pressure massage. I talk about stretching, strengthening, and self-massage, as well as a basic timeline for your recovery. If your pain sticks around despite treatment, feels unusual, or gets worse, do see a medical professional.

Other than the treatment stuff, I mostly emphasize rest. Now, it’s hard to imagine resting your wrists while continuing your massage practice, but it’s possible. You’ll need to find ways to reduce the proportion of your massage where you’re applying palmar pressure. If it’s currently 50%, we need to get you down to half that, or less, for the recovery period. ... continue reading.