9 Things Your Massage Therapist Should Know to Give a Good Massage – and Why only 2 are Important

by

Rich Haslam

There are many things that a Massage Therapist must learn to pass the various state licensing exams, but only 2 are absolutely necessary to do a good massage. In fact they are so important that if your Massage Therapist does not poses them, no matter how many years they have practiced, no matter how many classes they have taken, no matter what school they graduated from nor if they had the highest grades in their class, If they do not posses the knowledge that I will tell you shortly, then you should run, not walk as fast as you can, from them.

Do not give them a chance for you will surely be disappointed in what you have just spent your hard earned money for.

Before I tell you what those 2 things are, let me tell you why the others are not as important.

Is Knowledge of Anatomy Important?

You might have thought that anatomy would be important. After all, they are working on your body. They should know where the muscles are, what they do and how their technique can help you. However, the study of anatomy has only been required for Massage Therapist for only the past 40 of our 3,000 year old history. It may help us do our job better but it isn t absolutely necessary to give a good massage.

How About Physiology?

You probably think that Physiology is important also. This is the study of the body s systems and how they work. Although it helps us to be a better health care professional, it is totally unnecessary for the practice of massage.

Is My Therapist Ethical?

Ethics are pretty important, and although this will help you to ensure that your therapist acts in the highest regards to your well being, it has nothing to do with giving a good massage. A definition of ethics cam also be variable. For one person, a Therapist who advertises a certain way is unethical, to another it s just good business practice.

How my Muscles Work

How about Kinesiology? The study of the function of muscles seems mighty important. How would a Therapist know how to work on a muscle group if they didn t now how they work? The fact is, kinesiology is an even more recent study that Massage Therapists take. If it was all that necessary then we would have been studying it for the past 3,000 years also. But we haven’t.

Is That Contraindicated?

Contraindications are pretty important, right? After all, you wouldn’t want your Therapist doing something that might harm you. If you had a blood clot in your leg, you may not want a Massage Therapist to work it loose and send it to your heart, do you? Or how about causing a miscarriage if you are pregnant during your fist trimester? Fact is, neither of these conditions can be caused by massage. In fact, the American Pregnancy Association and the Birthing Doulas both recommend massage during all trimesters as it helps to ease the discomfort caused by tight muscles.

Not only that but, there has never been any evidence that massage can cause serious harm. You can get temporary bruising if the therapist is not careful enough, but the proper application of massage can not cause you to seek medical treatment. If you must seek treatment from the effects of massage…well then, it wasn’t a massage, it was an assault. Over all, massage is considered so safe that the premiums for liability insurance for therapists have actually gone down, instead of up like other Health Professions. Our rate of injury is so low that it’s expressed in millionths, that’s right, 0.000025 %

All Those Germs

That s the study of Pathology. Germs or bacteria and viruses can be dangerous. And there certainly are many of them to consider. But to engage in the study of them is totally unnecessary and is overkill. As long as your Therapist is practicing good hygiene, there is no more likelihood that you will contract anything worth worrying about. .

Ahh, Technique That has to be The One!

This must be the one, right? After all, what’s a massage if the Therapist doesn’t know the proper strokes and right kind of pressure applied to the correct location? Yes, this is important, but the present system of massage instruction does a very poor job of teaching us. In fact, we usually learn more after we graduate than we did in school, from other Massage Therapists and our clients.

The 2 Most Important Things Your Massage Therapist Needs to know

The 2 things that are absolutely necessary a Massage Therapist needs to know to give a good massage are good hands and a good heart. The good hands come from intent, not necessarily from technique. Some training helps to do that, but it’s that unspoken desire to help coupled with love, love of the person, self and of the work that makes a Massage Therapist great.

So no matter how much training one has, how many certificates on the wall they have, or how many years they have in the business, if they don’t have a loving intent in their hands and heart, then run as fast as you can away from them.

To find someone like that, you need to get a personal referral from someone who has received a massage from them. Barring that, it’s best to contact them through a company that has done its due diligence and has conducted a thorough interview including an interview massage so they can determine if they in fact do possess those abilities.

Rich Haslam has been a Licensed Massage Therapist for 15 years. He started providing chair massage at the San Antonio Wholefoods Market in 1995, after graduating from Massage School and has been with them ever since.He has since moved to Florida and now operates http://MyMassageCorner.com in the Aventura, Coral Gables, Pinecrest, Plantation, Naples and Wellington Wholefoods Market.Call him now at 954-234-5144 to make an appointment with one of his highly trained Massage Therapists or visit http://Massage-at-Home.com to make an appointment to have a Therapist come to your home.Why go anywhere else?

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9 Things Your Massage Therapist Should Know to Give a Good Massage – and Why only 2 are Important

By Ruth Wells

“In the past 2 years, I’ve had 4-5 students who are diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Tourette’s Syndrome, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Aspergers, in addition to students who have suffered sexual, mental and physical abuses.”

From an email sent by a teacher noting her lack of mental health training

Most teachers and counselors agree that today’s youngsters are more troubled, challenging and difficult than ever before. There is even data to back it up that assessment. USA Today reported in June, 2005 on a study conducted by Harvard Medical School. That study found that half of all mental illness begins by age 14, and that three-fourths of mental illness begins by age 24. Counselors and mental health workers are trained to manage the emotional concerns, but teachers and other non-mental health workers are not. This issue is especially for those of you who work with today’s troubled and disturbed children but have not been provided the training that you need to safely and successfully do your job.

If you accept the premise that today’s students are more trying than ever before, then you know why you are so discouraged and burned out at the end of the day. If you have ever felt that “nothing works” with some students, this is your explanation why. Factor in the reality that most teacher training devotes little attention to troubled and problem youngsters, and you have the perfect storm. Kids are more impaired, but most conventional college training doesn’t prepare teachers for the significant management problems posed by this type of child. Ideally, if you are not a mental health professional, you would fully update your skills at a class like our Breakthrough Strategies to Teach and Counsel Troubled Youth Workshop. To help a bit, here are few key pointers from our workshop and elsewhere, to help you start the process of upgrading your skills working with troubled and difficult students.

There’s No Substitute for Mental Health Basics

Remember your last car?– the one that limped along, leaving you to wonder if you’d get where you needed to go. The car needed fixing but you put it off, making your life much harder than it needed to be. Well, attempting to teach or work with today’s students without basic mental health information is like driving that old car well beyond what is safe and smart. For example, here is a quick test of your basic mental health knowledge: If you can’t immediately state the difference between a conduct disordered child and a thought-disordered one then you will not understand what is happening right in front of you.

Develop an Arsenal of Methods

Years ago, you could use “one-size-fits-all” methods with students, and teach or counsel successfully. That’s not true today. For example, if you use conventional methods with the two populations mentioned above, you will find those strategies almost always fail. To function successfully today, you have to be armed with a dynamic array of methods. While generic approaches may still work with some kids, you may need humor to defuse an oppositional youngster or to delicately reach an abused, worn-out student. For example, here’s a simple, but useful idea from Marjan Glavac, a veteran teacher who is the author of “How to Make a Difference: Inspiring Students to Do Their Best.”

TO UPDATE NOW

Marjan routinely surveys students to find out their likes and dislikes in the classroom. This is such an important preventative measure with several types of challenged students, including conduct disorders, oppositional-defiant and abused youngsters. For example, if a child has problems with rage, surveying his preferences can keep outbursts from ever happening. At the start of the school year, Marjan even surveys parents to learn about their children. Marjan has devised some wonderful terms to describe what he does. My favorite is his “sunshine phone calls” where he calls the parent when a child has done something well. This is a terrific approach to use with anxious and vulnerable kids, as well as others.

Learn a Variety of Styles

Any mental health professional will tell you that you need a variety of styles, with modes to fit each type of child you work with. The classic example is the rock solid firmness needed with conduct disordered students vs. the delicate touch necessary with abused youngsters. If you just use generic, uncustomized methods, you can end up steam rolling over an abused student or fragile work refuser, for example.

TO UPDATE NOW

Marjan Glavac gave me this humorous, gentle intervention that is so perfect for work refusers who are overwhelmed by the enormity of the work they have to do in school. It is a joke. He asks the students: “How do you eat an elephant?” Answer: “One bite at a time.”See how that silly, gentle technique could help alleviate some of the anxiety, and even begin to move the child slightly forward?

As you can probably tell, I just finished reading Marjan’s e-book. I am chock full of fresh ideas for a variety of styles. The book actually ends with a terribly sweet, heart-warming activity. I won’t ruin the book’s ending by telling you it. All I will say is that it is such a sweet, inspiring book in addition to being practical. I only wish I had written it.

He has a free newsletter you can try, or you can get the e-book. It’s name is “How to Make a Difference: Inspiring Students to Do Their Best.”The book is so good that it actually comes with a guarantee that Marjan’s teacher-tested techniques will propel you to “become the teacher you’ve always dreamed about becoming.” In the book, Marjan says that these methods helped him to stop being so exhausted all the time from constantly disciplining students. He says that now he feels that he has the control and power again in the classroom. Unless you are retiring soon, it’s worth the one click to head over to his site to check out his inventive strategies.

About the Author: Get much more information on this topic at youthchg.com. Author Ruth Herman Wells MS is the director of Youth Change, (youthchg.com.) Sign up for her free Problem-Kid Problem-Solver magazine at the site and see hundreds more of her innovative methods. Ruth is the author of dozens of books and provides workshops and training.

Source: isnare.com

Permanent Link: isnare.com/?aid=14047&ca=Education

What is the best alternative when you desire to purchase medical insurance for a university student? Medical insurance may be available from your college, from a mother or father’s medical insurance policy and from a policy purchased individually.Contracts purchased from one’s university or university has the advantage of being very low-priced. These policies tend to be very cheap, but almost always have less coverage when compared to insurance plans bought from other sources.Health insurance contracts marketed specifically to college students will usually have significant limitations on the benefits that they pay for larger expenses. Often the benefits that are paid for smaller expenses are excellent, so most people’s experience with these policies is positive. However, the unfortunate few who have major expenses are often unhappy with their coverage.The annual limit on what many student medical insurance contracts pay is often one tenth of the limit on other plans. This can mean that a student who has a major illness starts their adult life with a massive debt.These plans are also temporary insurance. This can be a problem if a student has a major medical event while covered, but continues to have health expenses after they are too old to be insured by their student policy.The price advantage of contracts bought directly from one’s college or university is often more than offset by fact that the contracts almost always have much lower benefits for major expenses. For this reason, college students may fare much better with one of the other options.Insuring a student through their father or mother’s insurance policy is usually a better alternative but this too has its drawbacks. Policies available through a parent’s medical insurance policy will often have excellent benefits. However, these policies have the disadvantage of being temporary.You may be able to insurance a student on their mother or father’s contract until they are age 26. This works well for many college students. However, there are many students who are unable to get coverage after they become too old for their mother or father’s policy due to a pre-existing condition.Individual insurance contracts can be acquired from companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield are often best alternative. They can have the advantages of having robust benefits similar to a contract that one might get through their father or mother’s group insurance plan and also have the advantage of being permanent coverage. You may be able to find a contract from a major insurer that will provide several million dollars or more in benefits. There may also be plans with unlimited benefits available.You can easily find a policy that you can keep until age 65. At 65 one is eligible for Medicare. For most Americans, Medicare is available with no medical questions.Although these plans are often more expensive than policies available through one’s college or university, they are typically very affordable. In most places, the price for medical insurance is lower for young adults when compared to older ones. This means that the rate for most university students is generally quite low.Although there are many places where you can purchase insurance for a college student, each one has its drawbacks. The typical plan bought through one’s university is usually cheap, but will also have low benefits and is temporary. Policies offered through a mother or father’s policy will generally offer better coverage but is also temporary. Policies purchased in the individual market will often have excellent benefits and can be kept until age 65. These plans have the drawback of being more expensive. Many people make the decision to pay more for these plans for two reasons. They are often not much more expensive. plans will provide much better health insurance coverage.

byAlma Abell

The taste of California wines is unmatched anywhere else in the United States. The notoriety of the beverages produced in the West Coast wine country is known nationwide. Experiencing these flavorful wines may be easy for those who live in the West, but for East Coast residents it can be hard to come by. Luckily, at Towne Cellars Wines & Liquors in New York, a substantial variety of California Wines are stocked and ready for individuals looking to expand their palate.

Finding a liquor store that carries an immense variety of wines and spirits can be especially pleasing to an alcohol connoisseur. Whether they wish to try a wide selection of drinks, or are looking for something hard to find, the chances of discovering their exact desire at Towne Cellars Wines & Liquors Inc. are promising. Boasting an unrivaled selection of California wines, this Long Island retailer has worked hard to ensure every customer who enters the store does not leave empty-handed. The shelves are also stocked with a wide variety of major-label beverage brands, international wines, and independent distilleries from across the country. It is here that one can find both a smooth German Riesling and a full bodied Kentucky bourbon in just the blink of an eye.

Not every wine drinker is well-versed in the subtleties of flavor. The casual enthusiast may not realize the differences in taste that comes from purchasing a bitter-sweet Sangiovese rather than a sweetly aromatic Pinot noir. They may also be unaware of how cheap or expensive certain styles of alcohol are. This is where the staff of Towne Cellars thrives. Their extensive knowledge of all the wines and spirits sold in the store is ready to be put to use. A consumer who knows the taste or body they are looking for, but is unsure of what to purchase can easily consult with a sales associate. The entire staff is ready to guide the consumer in finding the best wine or liquor to meet their taste and budget. To aid in this selection process, the company has also provided an online price list of every stocked wine so that the customer has the chance to survey what’s available and it’s price before ever arriving.

Finding the best California Wines or flavorful spirits on Long Island has never been easier. A single trip to this utopia of beverages will satisfy any alcohol needs.

The Importance Of A Medical Release Form

by

Ethan Kalvin

Most every school, sports team, and organized activity for school children require the filling out of a medical release form by the parents. While it is true that most people will simple fill out these forms when ask to do so, they generally don’t ponder the importance of completing this paperwork for the well being of their child.

Medical release forms allow the school or other organization to take your child to the emergency room and to get them life saving medical attention in case of an emergency when you are out of reach. While for the most part these forms never get used there are many instances where schools and sports teams have someone get hurt and need to get them to the doctor or hospital. Realizing this it is important to make sure that you fill these forms out carefully and without leaving unanswered questions and blanks. You will probably be asked about your health insurance plan; your child’s pediatrician, allergies, as well as emergency contact information in case you can not be reached. And if for some reason some of this information changes you should be certain to update the form at once to make sure that they have the best chance of reaching you and/or getting your child the care they need in a moments notice. It would also be a good idea to have such forms handy for babysitters as well as relatives or friends that may be helping care for your child, part time or otherwise and you might want to consider including a copy of this form in your child’s backpack, should a outing raise concerns about emergency situations. Anyone that is part of your child’s caring crew should have this information within arms reach. Emergency care forms can save your child’s life. Without them those caring for your children will be helpless and will have no legal standing to request medical care for their problems. Essentially without having one of these forms filled out completely your child could be left to die while those standing around are helpless and can not provide him/her with the care they need. A hit in the head on the baseball field, a fall at the school playground, or a twisted ankle on a Girl Scout hike, no matter where they go they need to be protected and cared for so be sure to provide everyone with an emergency medical release form.

Getting

Student Health insurance

is a requirement in some instances. Anytime you need info about

health insurance

it is smart to look online.

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