AOS Medical Massage Class

If it is time to take your massage therapy training to the next level, you are in good company. Practitioners of massage from many different schools around the country/world who have practiced for months or years have the opportunity to attend classes to receive an Associates Degree in Massage Therapy here at BCMT. Your next question is likely: what will an Associates Degree get me? Besides further education in a growing field, you will take classes that will make you more valuable to employers and your clients. (Yes, you can charge more.) You will specialize in 2 or more fields of choice in addition to training in Medical Massage, Trauma in the Body, and Advanced Practitioner Skills with a focus on Cranial-Sacral techniques. While discovering these new found skills you will also participate in conducting a research study,  either in literature or a case study on 1 or more clients.  I had the privilege of observing the case study presentations from the recent class of medical massage students. What an inspiring, knowledge filled evening. I observed 12 students presentations delivered with confidence and passion.  Here is a little information about the first 6:

The evening started with Michelle K. on Relaxation for people with Gastritis, Esophagitis, Diverticulosis. Did you know that 38 million people a year go to their doctors for digestive problems? Can massage therapy have a positive affect on those who suffer from these conditions?

Andrew, Alex and Instructor Dr. Melis, DC

Andrew P. followed up with Treating Acid Reflux with Reflexology. His focus was on an Eastern Medicine approach to a very common western problem. Even examining the correlation between the emotional and physical component to this disease.

Alex R. focused on a disease that plagues somewhere between 3-6 million Americans (mostly women). His topic Effects of Massage Therapy on Sleep Patterns with Fibromyalgia Clients. Fibromyalgia is determined by an eleven point tenderness evaluation. Due to many symptoms related to the disease sleeping is rarely a relaxing activity.  He measured whether or not the massage would help, movement during sleep, the # of hours slept, twitching and temperature control, and waking up confused.  (Here’s the scoop,  it works:))

Melissa J. did her research on Massage and Adolescents with Behavior Problems. She found interesting research primarily from the Touch Research Institute in Miami. She focused her interest in 4 main types of behavioral issues: Bulimia, ADHD, Aggressive Disorder and Depression. Very interesting.

Anne W. (below) delivered a stellar presentation on The Effects of the Standard Orthopedic Clinical Massage Protocol on Chronic Knee Pain. Her case study had Genu-Varum (bow-legged) and substantial knee pain. She compared the stretch- weakened muscled to the adaptively-shortened ones. She found treatment of all involved muscles in the leg to be of great importance.

Sandy M. I think won the award for the most unique study. Her interest resulted from her practicing a new technique from Advanced Practitioner Techniques with a Focus on Cranial-Sacral class on a friend, with amazing and surprising results. Her study; Cranial-Sacral Therapy Effects on Hemianopsia on Stroke Victims. (I didn’t know what it was either.) Fascinating information, that brought up questions for us as massage therapists and the effects of relaxation on the brain.

So there is just a tasty sampling of these students time and effort to expand the knowledge and research of massage therapy. Yes, we know it’s  an amazing and ever expanding field, it’s time the western medicine field sits up and takes notice. Next week 6 more students exploring different topics. Any golfers out there, stay tuned!