Part Six – Putting it altogether

The previous five posts in this series have aimed to give a very brief introduction to the variety of massage techniques available. Some you may have been familiar with by name without really knowing what they could do for you or if you needed them. I hope the posts have proved helpful but would be very happy to answer any individual questions that have arisen from the posts.

Of course like anything it is important to know how to do something but when to do it (and when not to) and why to do it is quite different. This ability comes from experience, constant study and review and always being attentive to client feedback. The therapist must listen to the client and fix upon the best treatment plan for each individual not practice the ‘latest thing’ or your own speciality. This is where clinical reasoning is essential, to be able to listen to the client and assess what may help and what may not is a skill the therapist needs to become accomplished in. It is not sufficient to be proficient in a variety of techniques or be a specialist in one but have a tool kit of things to draw on. It is also an advantage to have a network of similarly working professionals who you can refer to. It may be that on some occasions the best treatment plan for the client does not involve massage and it is very important to know when this is and get them referred to the right person as soon as possible.

Evidence based research is difficult in the complementary field for many reasons not least of which is funding and availability but this is no reason to abandon it or ignore the small perhaps less conclusive studies we have. Although so much needs to be done a quick internet search can show that massage can be worth considering in many situations. The key is to go to a therapist who knows what type of massage and when to apply and just as importantly when not to.