Talk:Massage

Sections needing work

Especially when making claims or speaking of specific techniques, references are needed, and often explanations. Howard C. Berkowitz 21:48, 27 January 2011 (UTC)

Soft Tissue Therapy

Treatment techniques include:

• Trigger point therapy for the alleviation of trigger points.
• Myofascial (muscle and fascia) therapy for flexibility/mobility of the connective tissues of our body, or for alleviating fibrous adhesions and decreasing the severity of scars.
• Broad handed techniques for reducing swelling or inflammation
• Frictions for the ridding of adhesions between fascial layers, muscles, compartments and the like. Frictions also promote healing in tendon pathologies as well as decreasing pain perception.
• Sustained pressure (digital pressures) to alleviate hypertonic (tight)areas within muscle and fascia
• Other techniques such as Active Release Therapies, Myofascial Release and deep tissue massage are all derivatives of the techniques above. They are NOT unique techniques with unique results.
• Stretching - static, dynamic, and/or PNF stretches (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation)
• Muscle Energy Technique (MET)
• Exercise Prescription
• Advice

This is one of the techniques used by sports massage therapists.

Tai Chi Massage

There is very little literature on this, or even unique web text -- most seems to be copied from one source. I hesitate to list techniques associated with a small group and having little coverage. Howard C. Berkowitz 11:00, 28 January 2011 (UTC)

Tai Ji / Tai Chi Massage is massage using the natural principles of Tai Ji, Yin and Yang to achieve balance in the qi energies of the body, leading to a healthy mind body and spirit. Tai Ji / Tai Chi The traditional Chinese term refers to the Dao, which is the inexpressible oneness and connectedness of all things.

Tai Ji Massage is a Qi treatment and it makes a treatment in terms of Qi. The master practitioner can sense the Qi blockages inside the body and the relationship which they have to each other. Qi blockages gives the practitioner insight into causes of chronic sicknesses, recurring sicknesses, psychosomatic sicknesses, future sicknesses.

The main use of this techniques is, relaxation and self-exploration, and in a therapeutic way, functional organ problems, chronic sicknesses and psychosomatic sicknesses.

Tai Ji Massage was developed by Richard Wickes, Li Cun De.

Structural muscular balancing

Again, very little available information. It was developed by Mark Beck and described in Theory & Practice of Therapeutic Massage.Howard C. Berkowitz 11:08, 28 January 2011 (UTC)

A gentle and effective technique that releases chronic contraction in the muscles. The nervous system is triggered to release contractions through compression applied to muscles placed in a shortened position.

Barefoot Deep Tissue

Barefoot Deep Tissue is a blend of Eastern barefoot techniques with Western manual medicine. Clients are typically loosely clothed and lain on floor mat in supine, prone and side-lying positions with pillows or bolsters. No oil is used. Sessions may last 2 minutes or well over an hour. Because the therapist can apply a broad range of pressure with ease and does not have to strain, more effort and concentration can be used to sense and manipulate tissue, release fascia, as well as search for and attack trigger points and other problems, regardless of client's size or build. John Harris, the proceleusmatic mentor who worked in the 1984 Olympics and developed this modality, states that the combination offers a potent new tool for powerfully satisfying, effective deep tissue massage and Trigger Point work regardless of client's size or build. Mr. Harris and Fred Kenyon wrote Fix Pain in 2002.

Tantramassage (Tantric massage)

At least in the U.S., most advertised Tantramassage, in a preliminary search, seems to be sexwork. Howard C. Berkowitz 17:08, 28 January 2011 (UTC) Original Tantramassage is a new form of massage developed in the early 1980s by Andro, Andreas Rothe an experienced Tantra and Bodywork Teacher in Berlin / Germany. The method includes various massage techniques, elements from Bioenergetic, Yoga and Sexualtherapy. The word "Tantra" emphasizes the connection with the old Indian cultural background where the body is seen as the temple of the soul. Clients are in a passive role, supported by breathing techniques they experience a very deep and intense journey through their own body. Every Massage session lasts 90 Minutes or longer. The Tantramassage movement is very popular in Germany and Switzerland, some practitioners are organized in the Association of Tantramassage in Germany.