Massage is the original healing art and today’s experts push the boundaries of how massage can be used to help not just with musculoskeletal problems, but a host of other pathologies from fibromyalgia to dyslexia. Follow along as they discuss cutting edge approaches to helping people feel and function at the highest possible level.
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Presenters for Saturday, November 22, 2008...
Ruth Werner - Massage and Pathology
With massage therapy going mainstream around the world more clients are seeking out massage for treatment of complicated health concerns. Today Ruth will discuss massage and pathology in the context of working with clients who are not perfectly healthy, whose bodies may not have the capacity to keep up with the kinds of changes some types of bodywork bring about where we can run the risk of doing more harm than good. In this presentation Ruth will discuss some of the most important pathologies you need to know about for the safety of you and your client.
Ruth Werner is a massage therapist and educator and author of the textbook A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology, that is now in its 3rd edition, and is used in massage schools all over the world. Ruth is currently working on the 4th edition, along with several other projects. She writes columns for Massage Today and Massage and Bodywork Magazine, and teaches continuing education workshops all over the country. Ruth is the Education Chair of the Massage Therapy Foundation, and she serves on committees for the AMTA and the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Ruth was selected for the Jerome Perlinski Teacher of the Year Award for 2005.
Leon Chaitow N.D., D.O., M.R.O. - Breathing Pattern Dysfunction and Pelvic Pain
This presentation will describe and explain the presenting features and symptoms (mainly pain, fatigue and anxiety) of unbalanced respiration (breathing pattern disorder/BPD), as well as rehabilitation strategies. Research shows that this widespread habit (mainly affecting females) negatively affects disturbed autonomic balance, musculoskeletal and circulatory function, reducing pain thresholds, encouraging trigger point development, disturbing motor control and core stability, as well as balance. Safe rehabilitation methods will be described and discussed. Every massage therapist should be able to recognise and advise on this widespread problem which requires a combination of breathing reeducation and manual treatment to achieve rehabilitation.
A practicing naturopath, osteopath, and acupuncturist in the United Kingdom, with over forty years clinical experience, Dr. Chaitow is Editor-in-Chief, of the "Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies." He regularly lectures in the United States as well as Europe where he has instructed physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors as well as massage therapists. He is a senior lecturer by London's University of Westminster on under and postgraduate courses in therapeutic bodywork and naturopathy. In 1993, he became the first naturopath/osteopath to be appointed as consultant to a UK government-funded conventional medical practice. He helped organize the First International Fascia Research Congress in 2007 at the Harvard Medical School. He lives and practices in both the UK and Greece. A prolific author, Dr. Chaitow has written over 60 books on natural health and alternative medicine.
John Corry MT - Correcting Asymmetrical Hypertonicity and Joint Compression in TMJ Dysfunction
John Corry provides some insights into intra-oral techniques and principles in the area of TMJ dysfunction. As soft-tissue body workers we bring a unique and valuable contribution in that the mandible is suspended by soft tissue and is therefore governed by soft tissue responses to craniomandibular function. Whether TMJ dysfunction be primary, or an expression of a whole-body pattern, knowing how to effectively access the "Mandibular Sling" is a valuable part of a massage therapist's toolbox.
John has been a Registered Massage Therapist since 1989 and specializes in jaw dysfunction and myofascial approaches. He is a certified Personal Fitness Trainer through The Sports Performance Institute. He is also the founder and teaches techniques for TMJ dysfunction through the program TMJ Mastery.
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Stefan Göthager - Fibrossage
Fibromyalgia is a difficult condition to treat. In this presentation Stefan Göthager will discuss the characteristics of this mysterious syndrome. You'll find out about Fibromassage, a specialized approach to treating fibromyalgia sufferers. Fibrossage was developed through studies sponsored by the Swedish government on thousands of patients and is now required training in Swedish massage schools. We'll look at the treatment methodology, application, and effects.
Stefan Göthager has done massage for 25 years with much of his time spent working with high level athletes and as a masseur for a Swedish national sports team. In the early 90s he was employed by the Swedish health care system to participate in a project that would explore alternative forms of treatment for fibromyalagia patients. The initial studies were conducted over a four year period and were followed up by additional research. Stefan has trained over 1000 therapists in Sweden and fibromassage has become required training in Swedish massage schools. He has been training profesionals in the other Nordic countries. Apart from teaching, he also works at the largest Pain Clinic in Sweden, St Görans Hospital in Stockholm, that provides fibromassage treatments.
Thomas Myers - Anatomy Trains: Re-Visioning Soft-Tissue Patterning
Anatomy Trains is a revolutionary map for creating holistic strategies for lasting soft-tissue intervention. Anatomy Trains connects the muscles together in kinetic chains and fascial slings to transcend the old idea of single-muscle actions. Increased scientific understanding of the nature of soft-tissue relationships has led to a new understanding of how the plasticity of the 'neuro-myo-fascial' web can be used to create lasting change for injury rehabilitation, performance enhancement, and personal development. This audio-visual presentation reviews new research findings, presents recent dissection evidence for fascial continuities, and points to some of the strategy directions emerging from this groundbreaking new way of seeing the locomotor system at work.
Thomas Myers is the author of the best-selling Anatomy Trains (Elsevier 2001), supporting video programs, and over 50 articles for journals and trade magazines. Tom currently directs Kinesis, Inc. which offers continuing education and certification programs worldwide. Tom studied directly with Drs Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais, and Buckminster Fuller during the 1970's followed by movement studies with Emilie Conrad, Judith Aston, and various martial arts. Tom's work is influenced by the European approach to cranial and visceral osteopathy. Tom has practiced integrative bodywork for over 30 years in a variety of clinical and cultural settings. He is a founder-member of the International Association of Structural Integrators, and a member of the Rolf Institute, the Guild for Structural Integration, and the Associated Massage and Bodywork Professionals.
David Zulak M.A., RMT - Comprehensive Orthopaedic Assessment & Living Anatomy
In this presentation, Zulak outlines his simple, commonsense approach to the assessment and treatment of spine and pelvis. Most clients come into massage offices for neck and back problems, yet very few therapists understand how to assess the spine and pelvis. Learning to assess all the joints of the spine and pelvis is simply learning “living anatomy”. To see how the body functions and how it becomes dysfunctional, therapists have to see both the state of individual joints and tissues, while also seeing how all of these are working together as a whole.
David is the author of "Comprehensive Orthopaedic Assessment for Massage Therapy". He teaches in private vocational schools, community colleges, and CEU courses for MT's. Though he has taught a variety of subjects his principle interests has always remained learning and teaching clinical assessment. He maintains a healthy clinical practice that focuses on treatments and he benefits from a high number of referrals from physicians. David has an extensive list of diverse experience in the areas of post-graduate studies and RMT education development. Presently David writes the "Essentials of Assessment" column for Massage Therapy Canada Magazine.
Ron Alexander - Functional Fascial Taping
Functional Fascial Taping (FFT) can immediately decrease pain and increase range of motion, to encourage muscle firing and normal movement patterns. The technique has a unique objective assessment procedure and tape application to modify pain and to provide tension/load at rest, active increased load (patient self administered treatment) and frequent alterations in load with movement with activity. This non-invasive treatment encourages practitioners' treatments to 'hold' for longer and to rehabilitate in a pain free environment.
Ron Alexander is the founder of the Functional Fascial Taping method and presents FFT workshops both in Australia and internationally. He is co-investigator of a randomised double blind controlled trial (phd) of FFT for chronic low back pain at Deakin University, Melbourne. Ron refined FFT over several years whilst the Principal Remedial Massage Therapist for the Australian Ballet. During this period he was awarded 'Lady Southey Scholarship for Excellence'. Ron has presented FFT to the International Olympic Committee World Congress, the World Congress on Lower Back and Pelvic Pain and two posters at the Inaugural Fascia Research Congress.
Click here to register and take advantage of the opportunity to listen to and interact with all 50+ conference presenters.