We have looked at the importance of building a strong foundation of basic massage techniques. While those techniques can be applied across any massage treatment, they are typically used in Swedish massage or as complements to other types of manual therapy.
In the area of clinical massage, we as massage therapists must have an advanced level of skill. In order to provide effective treatment, a therapist must be able to identify varying aspects of the client's condition, as well as properly incorporate advanced manual therapy methods into a plan of care. In this chapter, we discuss several advanced techniques that will also be applied as part of a treatment sequence later in the book.
At the conclusion of this chapter, the reader will understand:
components and functions of fibrous connective tissue
difference between loose and dense fibrous connective tissue
how and why connective tissue changes in response to stress
history, theory, and application of the connective tissue massage techniques discussed
history of myofascial trigger points
normal contraction cycle of a muscle fiber
causes and characteristics of myofascial trigger points
pathophysiology of a trigger point
how to treat a trigger point using noninvasive techniques
how and when to perform the advanced strokes discussed
uses and benefits of stretching, and reasons people don't stretch
what research says about stretching
theory and application of the stretching methods discussed
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