Massage Therapy : eBooks

Massage therapists provide soothing massages that reduce pain and discomfort in people of all ages. Many people also seek massages simply to relax after a hard day at work. A career as a massage therapist is the perfect choice for those who like to work with their hands and enjoy helping people relax and live healthier lives. In this book, you'll learn about job duties for massage therapists, how to train for the field; key skills for success in this career, the employment outlook, and much more. Massage Therapist is just one of nine exciting titles in the Careers with Earning Potential series. Readers will discover seven interesting careers that typically do not require a bachelor's degree, but provide a good middle-class income. In the other two titles, they will learn how to present themselves professionally in their job application materials and during the employment interview, as well as how to become invaluable in the workplace.

The book brings together a range of examination and assessment techniques which are otherwise only found in a variety of different places. It presents them in a way relevant to massage therapists. The book will be used by MT students to learn of the existence of these techniques and how and when to use them. More experienced MTs will use the book to enhance, update and extend their skills in what is a key area if appropriate therapy is to be given.

Why we need a daily dose of touch: an investigation of the effects of touch on our physical and mental well-being. Although the therapeutic benefits of touch have become increasingly clear, American society, claims Tiffany Field, is dangerously touch-deprived. Many schools have "no touch" policies; the isolating effects of Internet-driven work and life can leave us hungry for tactile experience. In this book Field explains why we may need a daily dose of touch. The first sensory input in life comes from the sense of touch while a baby is still in the womb, and touch continues to be the primary means of learning about the world throughout infancy and well into childhood. Touch is critical, too, for adults' physical and mental health. Field describes studies showing that touch therapy can benefit everyone, from premature infants to children with asthma to patients with conditions that range from cancer to eating disorders. This second edition of Touch, revised and updated with the latest research, reports on new studies that show the role of touch in early development, in communication (including the reading of others' emotions), in personal relationships, and even in sports. It describes the physiological and biological effects of touch, including areas of the brain affected by touch, and the effects of massage therapy on prematurity, attentiveness, depression, pain, and immune functions. Touch has been shown to have positive effects on growth, brain waves, breathing, and heart rate, and to decrease stress and anxiety. As Field makes clear, we enforce our society's touch taboo at our peril.

The management of scar tissue is a huge and growing problem for massage and other manual therapists. Research has showed that appropriate massage treatment can have significant results both physically and psychologically. Existing books have chapters on the problem but there is no practical manual available on the subject at the present time which tells the therapist what to do (and what not to do). This book fills that gap, explaining the physiologic and pathophysiologic background, and providing practical guidance about how to help patients.

In Oncology Massage - an integrative approach to cancer care the authors have created a textbook which will provide both experienced and inexperienced therapists with a resource to expand their knowledge and understanding of working with people with cancer. Cancer occurrence and survivorship are now so common that every massage therapist will at some time work with clients who have been through cancer treatment. The short and long-term effects of biomedical cancer treatment require massage therapy adaptations to pressure, site, position and duration to provide safe and effective treatments. Informed massage therapists can support the body to promote overall wellness as well as identify the underlying secondary effects of cancer treatment that contribute to physical dysfunction. Oncology Massage: An Integrative Approach to Cancer Care provides massage therapists with essential information for: Treatment planning based on the physiology of cancer and cancer treatments Critical, thoughtful treatment decision making Consideration of the psychosocial effects of cancer Enhancing therapist self-awareness and building a therapeutic relationship. The information is presented in a clear and simple format with plentiful use of illustrations and information boxes which allows it to be used both as a learning tool for those new to the field of oncology massage and as a resource for quick referral when working with new patients. The techniques of massage therapy change very little; it is the knowledge and understanding of their use that distinguishes a massage therapist. Oncology Massage is unusual in that it includes contributions not only from a range of experienced practitioners but also from people with cancer who have received massage during and after cancer treatment. This feedback from clients provides an invaluable addition to the understanding of how massage can be used as a safe and effective part of cancer care.

The beautiful new edition of this highly successful book, written by Ann and Chris Frederick, directors of the Stretch to Win® Institute, is packed with theory and practice, including a host of beautifully illustrated assisted stretches. Fascial Stretch Therapy(tm), Second edition is a practical and highly applicable manual for any massage therapist, movement instructor, physical or occupational therapist, athletic or sports trainer, fitness instructor or osteopath - in fact for any hands-on practitioners who wants to learn new skills and improve therapeutic outcomes. It clearly demonstrates how FST(tm) assessment, treatment, and training are used in a variety of common circumstances encountered in manual therapy and athletic training. What's new for the second edition... Discusses a very brief history of a still expanding and evolving new industry of assisted stretching. It also covers the negative aspects of this trend, including the lack of assessments and specificity and common stretching methods. Approaches are listed so you can compare and contrast. Includes a new Chapter 2 with updates of the highest quality evidence-based research useful to the field of assisted stretching. It includes the authors' own research about the effects of FST(tm) on chronic nonspecific low back pain as well as a discussion about a recent systematic review of the acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals. Lists contraindications and indications for FST(tm) along with new updates to reflect current understandings (e.g. about Golgi tendon organs) with supporting references. Shows how this method will save you time when forming a working hypothesis that will quickly be proven or disproven so that you will have enough time to develop other hypotheses that you can test for efficacy, all within a single session. Includes new photographs and artwork along with new titles to reflect the change in nomenclature from the use of the term 'fascial line(s)' to 'fascial net(s)'.

Massage therapists need basic, practical business advice such as low to mid-cost marketing techniques, taxes, and recordkeeping, but there is also no denying the benefits of "been there, done that" information that can only come from someone else's experience. How to Start a Home-based Massage Therapy Business offers a gold mine of tips and ideas that can lessen the learning curve, stimulate thinking outside-the-box, and increase the odds of having a wildly successful practice.

This is a 3-in-1 reference book. It gives a complete medical dictionary covering hundreds of terms and expressions relating to massage therapy. It also gives extensive lists of bibliographic citations. Finally, it provides information to users on how to update their knowledge using various Internet resources. The book is designed for physicians, medical students preparing for Board examinations, medical researchers, and patients who want to become familiar with research dedicated to massage therapy. If your time is valuable, this book is for you. First, you will not waste time searching the Internet while missing a lot of relevant information. Second, the book also saves you time indexing and defining entries. Finally, you will not waste time and money printing hundreds of web pages.