What is massage with movement? Who is it for and why would you use it?

Are you a holistic massage therapist looking to further your hands-on massage techniques and create physical and emotional change for your client? If so, then we could have the answer!

You don't have to feel confined to static massage strokes and techniques requiring high levels of repetition to achieve muscle lengthening and relaxation – we are talking about massage with movement, what it is, who it's for, and what the benefits are!

When we use massage with movement we are creating change in the fascial layers under our fingers or arms. This is achieved because we are putting pressure through the muscle fibers and stretching them underneath thus increasing, on a filament level, changes in muscle and fascial length, and stimulating the spindle receptors in the muscle belly to relax. In doing this we are creating easier movement in the muscle for the client and increasing that, ever so important element to our treatment, of wellbeing for the client.

Are people coming back to you with the same tight muscles and presenting with the same areas of pain? Are you finding it difficult to get around all the problem areas in the allotted time?

If so, massage with movement could offer you a solution that makes your treatment more effective, with less effort from you, even getting the client to do some of the work for you.

This technique offers the chance for you to spend less time on a muscle to relax and lengthen it, yet achieve better results.  

Any massage therapist can use massage with movement to make treatments far more effective. Next week we will share some demonstrations of techniques on some of the most common, troublesome muscle groups. If you would like more confidence to give it a go, come along to one of our Thursday evenings and get hands-on with Chris' support!