Learning skills they may not teach at your school?

[DAT DUDE OUTTA BK]

Hi my name is Max Ernst.

I am a therapist at the Vienna State Opera Ballet. I am completely out of touch with formal education as it has been over twenty years since my first basic class. Could you please answer these questions for me?

Do they still teach you the fear of God concerning massaging the neck? This technique makes up 70 percent of my daily business and so it interests me if the schools now days still teach this. To me the neck massage should not be feared but it must be respected.

This is better

 

[scale92788]

Nice to meet you!

Hello and welcome!

I went to school a few years ago, and left not feeling comfortable with neck work. We did learn to work anterior scalenes and such, but I doubt that we had enought time to actually cover it well. I think you could/should spend a large amount of time learning neck work.
I am always interested in learning more, but I never know where to find good, digestable info. I also have a very limited budget, but I love to learn.

I look forward to reading more of your posts!
~dawnray

 

[Greg Calici]

Hi Damnray

Thank you for your positive response.

I wrote a small piece today in the techniques discussion forum section if you would like to check it. It is titled, I think from memory, a little trick from an old fella.

Tell me what you think, I hope you find it helpful. I actually wanted to go through the neck and shoulder sequence that I use in more detail. Will do soon on same technique section.

Cool.

Old Dog

 

[essassin]

If money is an issue, there is free education college called the public library. they have tons of books on kinesiology and about muscles. Improving your skills is not about techniques. It's about learning more about the body. Some of the best skills are not taught in school. Learning how the body move in everyday life is important. Some of the best practical knowledge I learn is from self help books, dance books, exercise books, meditation, hypnosis, nonverbal communicatoin and figure drawing. why? because they teach you more about the body and how to relax them. Being a great therapist means knowing how the body relax and heal. It's not just about techniques. bodywork is a language and we must be present in our body to learn more about it. It's about the language of connection. Also doing activities like tai chi, dancing, stretching and exercise helps get in touch with body.

 

[mpc717vc]

Hello!
Oh trust me, I use that resource and I agree totally! I try to absorb as much as I can from every source possible. I just like to make it clear from the get-go that I don't have much money to fling around, that's all.

Some of the resources I would like to get my hands on aren't available at the library, so I do try to find other ways of learning, as you said. And perhaps there are other things that you should spend the money on... I took and Ashiatsu workshop and wouldn't dream of sliding my feet around on anyone without having taken it.

I started Pilates a while back and in doing so learned that I can NOT do any of the back extension moves, and that indeed has been a learning experience. I have a bit of scoliosis/rotation/lordosis and strengthening those muscles was pretty disabling for me. All good for learning…

 

[Appollonia]

Learning skills they may not teach at your school?

Do they still teach you the fear of God concerning massaging the neck? This technique makes up 70 percent of my daily business and so it interests me if the schools now days still teach this. To me the neck massage should not be feared but it must be respected.

i attended massage school twice. the school i went to in texas was a 300 hour program which taught basic swedish massage. we were taught to respect the endangerment sites on the anterior neck. we were not imposed with the fear of god, however, in that area. we were taught to laterally flex the neck, while applying gentle gliding strokes along SCM as well as scalenes.

the school i attended in colorado was an 1150 hour program, which included neuromuscular therapy, american version. at the beginning of the program, the curriculum was very clear about using extreme caution in this area. (maybe scared some of the students? but not me.) when we got into the NMT program toward the end of the year, we were taught routines on the anterior neck which included SCM, scalenes (compression and cross fiber only, apparently gliding strokes should be avoided... however i really enjoy how it feels...so?) we also learned routines to address diagastroc and hyoid group, as well as displacing the trachea to address the longus coli.

i did notice during trades with fellow classmates, that many avoided this area all together, and even a few voiced concern of not feeling confident while working in the area.

that being said, after the second time through school, i felt much more comfortable applying therapy to the anterior cervicals. i usually always include SCM and scalenes when working with clients now, especially if they spend their work day driving or at the computer. i have not used the deep anterior cervical routine on any clients currently, but not because of fear.... just because most of my clients seem to be looking for a feel-good relaxation massage, with some triggerpoint.

i recently traded massage with a MT who went to school in a completely different state. she was a RN before becoming a MT in 1995. before the session, she asked me what i wanted, and i gave her my list of muscles i'm aware i carry tension in.... scalenes included. she didn't even touch the area... not even SCMs : she has been doing massage (for about a year) on my dad, he has some chronic pain which seems to be coming from levator scapula. well, i am the very first person who has EVER touched his scalenes, and boy! are they tight.

 

[Nicoke<3]

Wow!

That's wonderful. Thank you.

 

[josho]

I graduated from Northwestern Health Sciences University ( http://www.nwhealth.edu ) . We learned a great deal about working the neck, and I left feeling VERY comfortable with it. By the time I graduated, working the neck was one of my favorite things, and it helped me develop my client base.

In my Continuing Education, I have learned much more about treating the neck via Active Isolated Stretching and fascial work, and NMT is next on my list.

 

[Lith]

The neck

I hear you totally.

When most people come to see me about some deep tissue therapy they either come for lower back or neck and shoulders. I practice, practice and practice some more and always look for new ideas and tech's. Sure the neck and shoulders aren't the be all and end all. Some people have other problems like tight muscles in the calves, but as a whole it's the shoulders and neck that bring them back for more. And us as people of course.

I originally thought to join a forum like this to help the new therapists to understand if they could learn this principle first then perhaps they could enjoy the same success that I have found. I hope they could approach us in the future so we can learn together.

I read your other post concerning how you feel it near impossible to learn online as this is a hands on learning experience. Mmmm, maybe but I'd be up for trying anyway. Perhaps we could do a progressive class right here. If the newbies would be into it? What do you think? You seem to be on the same page as I and I'd sure like to learn some ideas from you too.

Thanks

 

[saffrondoula]

My name is Heather

I just graduated from ASHA in Atlanta and we spent at least 60 hours on anterior neck and TMJ work. Of course, this is not the prime example of most schools in my area. ASHA is a medically based Massage Therapy school that is owned by, what I consider to be, an alternative Chiropractor and Massage Therapist. The surrounding schools teach spa therapy that I feel is a waste of money due to every spa will train you in their techniques. Fred Davis is one of the instructors at the school that built the curriculum for NMT and he is well known nationally for Anterior Neck and TMJ work. Not sure if this helps you or not. I would suggest auditing an NMT class due to their are many changes that have occurred over the years. I plan on auditing the class at least once every two years. This will be for my own benefit.

 

[DUCKY {lovesyouu}]

Neck massage

Thank you, h2

That is so good to hear. You are very lucky indeed to have such education as I believe it to be very rare. A good neck technical education is like gold in this business as many people are searching for quality relief from stress.

Good luck in your future as you apply your teachings.

Kind regards

Max

 

[DanC]

I'm glad to hear not just my school is offering that too!

In fact, whenever we'd get ahead in any of my lab classes, my teachers tended to want to focus on techniques for the anterior neck, the adductors, or how to do whatever we were learning but in sidelying in case we were working on a pregnant woman or anyone else who couldn't lie on their stomach.

 

[warren v]

I agree that many of the clients I see are chronically stressed in the upper thorasic, neck and occipital region.
I have alway used caution in the anterior neck area, mainly avoiding it, until recently when I purchased a book from the school I went to in NY. They changed the curiclum since I had attended, and added the book "Deep Tissue Massage Treatment" By Fabian Fernandez Which also included a 90 minute DVD with all of the techniques described in the book. What an amazing tool. It has some great sequences for the neck area that I use faithfully now.
I would love to find some more books like this one or DVDs.

 

[beauty]

Good news

Thankyou both for your replies and I am happy to hear there is an awareness out there of shared interests. Our Deep tissue education is worth expanding on and growing progressively.

I'm just in the research seforum.xxxe to find out how. Thanks for your support.

Max