Sustainability is a concept that more businesses are starting to consider. Sustainable resources are those that are used at such a rate that the source is never too depleted to regenerate, so is still available for future generations. Three main areas requiring sustainable practise, are environmental, social and economical.
Because the earth is a limited resource, it is important for the environment to be conserved as best as it can be, to prolong the life of our natural resources, because once it’s gone, it’s gone. Environmental sustainability can be carried out in a number of ways, for example using solar power to heat our rooms instead of heaters, using recyclable materials when possible, and by using natural based products, all help to keep our planet healthy. As a massage therapist we can be more sustainable by using solar panels to heat our clinics, and using eco-friendly washing powder when laundering our drapes. Using natural based waxes in recyclable containers also increases the sustainability of our products. Another good idea is to buy an adjustable wooden table, as the production of a wooden table emits a lot less toxins into the environment than the making of a metal table, and having an adjustable table means you are unlikely to out grow it, so it can last the whole of your massage career. This in turn means less wastage which would damage the environment. Living Earth Crafts (2008) are working to preserve the environment by planting a tree for every massage table they sell, which is a great way to sustain our forests!
Social sustainability is the idea of having a social network in which you can keep in contact with other professionals and existing and potential clients. For example, for practising massage therapists in New Zealand, MNZ (massage New Zealand) is a good network to become a member of, because without the inclusion of other people (to help motivate you to keep up a professional practise, and obviously paying customers) you would be unable to achieve a successfully functioning business.
Lastly, economic sustainability relates to the amount to revenue coming into the business. Obviously you need to be making a profit to keep your business running successfully. To increase and maintain the economic sustainability of a massage practise, you need to make sure you keep your clinic up to a professional standard by keeping all client records confidential, providing adequate services but always stating and keeping within your scope of practise, having relevant qualifications on display, and keeping clinic and personal hygiene at a high standard. By sticking to these criterion, your business should run smoothly and keep the profits up.
As discussed above there are many ways in which a sustainable massage practise can be achieved. By using natural and environmentally friendly products and prolonging their lifespan for as long as possible, joining a network like MNZ which will help you keep in contact with other practising therapists and help you to build a client base, and by making sure your clinic is client focused, will help you build a practise that encourages environmental, social and economic sustainability. A sustainable practise is also more likely to have a superior reputation with the public, so your practise should continue to run smoothly into the future.
References
Living Earth Crafts. Massage Tables: Environmentally friendly massage table certification (2008). Retrieved August 25th from http://www.massage-tables.info/
Ministry for the environment. Sustainability, a definition (2009). Retrieved August 25th from http://www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/sustainable-industry/tools-services/definition.php
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
History and culture of massage therapy
1. A comparison of the development of massage in the eastern and western traditions.
Massage has been practised for a number of years throughout a large variety of cultures. It was first used as a healing procedure, carried out by the village Sharman (healer), or taught in the family and passed on through the generations.
Massage was first documented in Eastern cultures as early as 3000BC in China, where it was used as a treatment for illness. By 90BC, acupuncture was being used, and using this and their knowledge of massage procedures, the Chinese developed Amma, a method involving pressing with the fingers which became the grandparent of all massage therapy. By the 6th Century massage was well developed and widely used within China, and new techniques evolving from amma had spread throughout Japan, Thailand and India. Ayurvedic massage had become especially popular in Hindu culture becoming a sacred practise acknowledged as the code of life, and associated with rebirth, salvation and the soul. Eastern massage is very holistic, focusing on healing not only the body but the mind and spirit as well.
At the same time a different type of massage was evolving in the West, being developed by the Romans and Greeks, and focusing more on science and the human body. It was seen more as a healing technique, rather than a spiritual release as it was in the East. Some influential people involved in the development of Western massage were Hippocrates, Galen, Ling, Metzger, Kellogg, Vodder, Travell and Cyriax, who introduced massage and its benefits to the medical community (Salvo, 2007).
2. The role of Hippocrates, Galen, Ling, Metzger, Kellogg, Vodder, Travell & Cyriax in the development of massage in the western tradition.
The first person to document the benefits of massage was Hippocrates. Known as the “Father of Western Medicine” (Salvo 2007, pg 6), he focused on the patients needs, and developed massage techniques to aid in the healing of injuries. Two of his long standing methods are traction and stretching, both of which are still used today (Salvo, 2007). Many years later, Galen, a follower of Hippocrates findings, linked touch to human anatomy and physiology. He studied the effects of massage by looking at the influence of massage both pre- and post-event, thereby associating massage with sports, and also health (Elluminate, 2009).
An important person in modern massage was Ling, who used the rhythm of gymnastics to develop a set of therapeutic movements, which improved circulation, eased muscle pain, increased flexibility and encouraged relaxation. Although Ling did not have a medical background, he taught massage to medical students, and it became an accepted medical procedure (Salvo, 2007). Metzger however, had a medical background, so was more capable at promoting the benefits of massage in a medical environment. It was he who coined the massage terms such as effleurage and petrissage, and who introduced massage to scientific publications (Salvo, 2007).
While Ling and Metzger were influencing the medical community, Kellogg was convincing the public by publishing many books and articles on the health benefits of massage, which helped increase its popularity (Salvo, 2007).
Emil Vodder developed a method to assist in the movement of lymphatic fluid. Soft massage across the surface lymphatics was found to help with lymphatic diseases, such as lymphodema (Fritz, 2004).
Janet Travell is known for her work on trigger points. She mapped previously unknown pain patterns in the body, and found that working into these points can relieve myofascial pain pre-existing from old injuries (Salvo, 2007).
Another important name in massage today is Cyriax, an orthopaedic physician who is recognised for his work on the diagnosis of soft tissue damage. He was involved in rehabilitation treatments, such as assessing range of motion, and also developed transverse friction methods (Salvo, 2007).
3. A comparison of Maori massage (Miri-miri & Romi-romi) with western massage.
Maori massage is very traditional and holistic, as it focuses on both the body and mind, and is passed on through the family. Infants are massaged everyday to encourage a shapely form, and to build a sense of trust and caring within the family and community. The two main methods are Miri-miri and Romi-romi. Miri-miri is a healing process comparable to relaxation, that uses short strokes to address the four dimensions (body, mind, spirit and family), whereas Romi-romi involves the kneading or squeezing of the fleshy parts of the body, and also the use of elbows, hands, knees, sticks, stones and water, for work at a deeper level.
Maori massage is different to Western massage, as Maori massage is very holistic, focusing on the body and mind, whereas Western massage focuses more on the human body only. However, there are some similarities, in the fact that Maori infants are massaged each day to perfect the way the body grows, which has a more scientific purpose. Also, Romi-romi follows western trends moreso than Miri-miri (Riley, 1994).
4. The massage scandals of the 1800s and their impact on the massage industry.
The downfall of massage came when the profession was criticised for having inadequately trained therapists, false advertising and overcharging for poor service. This was due mainly to the excessive number of women being quickly, and therefore insufficiently, trained on the premise that they would have many grand job offers on completion on the course. Unfortunately this was not the case, and many of the women had to resort to using massage clinics as covers for prostitution in order to pay back their study fees, which destroyed the public’s confidence in massage. Luckily, in the late 1800’s, eight women launched the Society of Trained Masseuses, which recognised the importance for adequate training and standards, and so massage therapy was re-established in a favourable light (Fritz, 2004).
5. The development of professional massage in New Zealand including MINZI,
NZATMP, TMA & MNZ.
In 1985, Bill Wareham founded the Massage Institute of New Zealand Incorporated (MINZI). MINZI focused on providing a high standard of education to massage therapists in New Zealand by ensuring that teachers taught at appropriate standards. MINZI also hold yearly workshops, which massage therapists can attend in order to develop new and perfect existing skills. Not long after MINZI was established, Jim Sanford recognised the need for a professional organisation focusing on therapeutic massage, and so formed the New Zealand Association of Therapeutic Massage Practitioners (NZATMP). This organisation provides high quality training in therapeutic massage and professionalism, and now has many members from all over New Zealand. NZATMP is now known as TMA (Therapeutic Massage Association), and has a list of all therapists holding the National Diploma of Therapeutic Massage, and promotes their continued training and development of massage therapy. In 2006, a merge between MINZI and TMA produced an independent association called Massage New Zealand (MNZ). MNZ promotes the practise of professional massage, and ongoing training and support of massage in New Zealand. It is a good way for massage therapists registered in New Zealand to advertise their services, and to build a network with other practising therapists (Tuchtan, Tuchtan, & Stelfox, 2004).
6. Contemporary massage.
Contemporary massage, such as lymphatic drainage, neuromuscular approaches, orthopaedic massage and fascia work, have all developed through the 20th Century. The Vodder technique stimulates the movement of lymph fluid around the body, and is now practised worldwide, with Bruno Chikly combining lymphatic drainage and craniosacral work. These methods help with diseases like lymphadema, which block up the lymph system. Neuromuscular work, such as Travell’s trigger point therapy, and myofascial treatment, work to break up any pre-existing muscle tightness in the body’s connective tissue, and Cyriax’s orthopaedic work focuses on the rehabilitation of tissues and joints by assessing the range of motion, and limitations in normal movement. Acupressure also focuses on relaxing and releasing any muscle tension, by applying pressure to certain points on the body. These techniques are continuing to grow and become more accepted as we learn more about the contemporary approaches that are available to us (Elluminate, 2009).
7. A discussion of how the following philosophical approaches to massage (body, body-mind, body-mind-spirit) relate to the historical and cultural contexts discussed.
Holistic treatment (treatment of the mind and spirit as well as the body) is traditionally an eastern practise, while western massage is more body driven. Eastern cultures recognise the link between the body and mind, which is important in a therapeutic sense, as it aims to relax the mind via manipulation of the body. Because western massage is more medical based, it fails to encompass the mind-spirit-body association, as the mind and body are seen as completely different entities. However, holistic health care is becoming more accepted in the west, as practitioners are becoming more aware of the mind-body connection (Holey & Cook, 1997).
References
Fritz, S. (2004). Fundamentals of therapeutic massage. (3rd Ed.) Missouri, USA: Mosby Incorporated.
Holey, E., & Cook, E. (1997). Evidence based therapeutic massage. A practical guide for therapists. (2nd Ed.) Missouri, USA: Churchill Livingstone.
Molloy, F. (2009). History and Culture. Elluminate session, July 20 2009. Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand.
Riley, M. (1994). Maori healing and herbal: New Zealand ethnobotanical sourcebook. Paraparaumu, New Zealand: Viking Sevenseas.
Salvo, S. (2007). Massage therapy: Principles and practise. (3rd Ed.) Missouri, USA: Saunders Elsevier.
Tuchtan, C., Tuchtan, V., & Stelfox, D. (2004). Foundations of massage. N.S.W, Australia: Churchill Livingstone.
Massage has been practised for a number of years throughout a large variety of cultures. It was first used as a healing procedure, carried out by the village Sharman (healer), or taught in the family and passed on through the generations.
Massage was first documented in Eastern cultures as early as 3000BC in China, where it was used as a treatment for illness. By 90BC, acupuncture was being used, and using this and their knowledge of massage procedures, the Chinese developed Amma, a method involving pressing with the fingers which became the grandparent of all massage therapy. By the 6th Century massage was well developed and widely used within China, and new techniques evolving from amma had spread throughout Japan, Thailand and India. Ayurvedic massage had become especially popular in Hindu culture becoming a sacred practise acknowledged as the code of life, and associated with rebirth, salvation and the soul. Eastern massage is very holistic, focusing on healing not only the body but the mind and spirit as well.
At the same time a different type of massage was evolving in the West, being developed by the Romans and Greeks, and focusing more on science and the human body. It was seen more as a healing technique, rather than a spiritual release as it was in the East. Some influential people involved in the development of Western massage were Hippocrates, Galen, Ling, Metzger, Kellogg, Vodder, Travell and Cyriax, who introduced massage and its benefits to the medical community (Salvo, 2007).
2. The role of Hippocrates, Galen, Ling, Metzger, Kellogg, Vodder, Travell & Cyriax in the development of massage in the western tradition.
The first person to document the benefits of massage was Hippocrates. Known as the “Father of Western Medicine” (Salvo 2007, pg 6), he focused on the patients needs, and developed massage techniques to aid in the healing of injuries. Two of his long standing methods are traction and stretching, both of which are still used today (Salvo, 2007). Many years later, Galen, a follower of Hippocrates findings, linked touch to human anatomy and physiology. He studied the effects of massage by looking at the influence of massage both pre- and post-event, thereby associating massage with sports, and also health (Elluminate, 2009).
An important person in modern massage was Ling, who used the rhythm of gymnastics to develop a set of therapeutic movements, which improved circulation, eased muscle pain, increased flexibility and encouraged relaxation. Although Ling did not have a medical background, he taught massage to medical students, and it became an accepted medical procedure (Salvo, 2007). Metzger however, had a medical background, so was more capable at promoting the benefits of massage in a medical environment. It was he who coined the massage terms such as effleurage and petrissage, and who introduced massage to scientific publications (Salvo, 2007).
While Ling and Metzger were influencing the medical community, Kellogg was convincing the public by publishing many books and articles on the health benefits of massage, which helped increase its popularity (Salvo, 2007).
Emil Vodder developed a method to assist in the movement of lymphatic fluid. Soft massage across the surface lymphatics was found to help with lymphatic diseases, such as lymphodema (Fritz, 2004).
Janet Travell is known for her work on trigger points. She mapped previously unknown pain patterns in the body, and found that working into these points can relieve myofascial pain pre-existing from old injuries (Salvo, 2007).
Another important name in massage today is Cyriax, an orthopaedic physician who is recognised for his work on the diagnosis of soft tissue damage. He was involved in rehabilitation treatments, such as assessing range of motion, and also developed transverse friction methods (Salvo, 2007).
3. A comparison of Maori massage (Miri-miri & Romi-romi) with western massage.
Maori massage is very traditional and holistic, as it focuses on both the body and mind, and is passed on through the family. Infants are massaged everyday to encourage a shapely form, and to build a sense of trust and caring within the family and community. The two main methods are Miri-miri and Romi-romi. Miri-miri is a healing process comparable to relaxation, that uses short strokes to address the four dimensions (body, mind, spirit and family), whereas Romi-romi involves the kneading or squeezing of the fleshy parts of the body, and also the use of elbows, hands, knees, sticks, stones and water, for work at a deeper level.
Maori massage is different to Western massage, as Maori massage is very holistic, focusing on the body and mind, whereas Western massage focuses more on the human body only. However, there are some similarities, in the fact that Maori infants are massaged each day to perfect the way the body grows, which has a more scientific purpose. Also, Romi-romi follows western trends moreso than Miri-miri (Riley, 1994).
4. The massage scandals of the 1800s and their impact on the massage industry.
The downfall of massage came when the profession was criticised for having inadequately trained therapists, false advertising and overcharging for poor service. This was due mainly to the excessive number of women being quickly, and therefore insufficiently, trained on the premise that they would have many grand job offers on completion on the course. Unfortunately this was not the case, and many of the women had to resort to using massage clinics as covers for prostitution in order to pay back their study fees, which destroyed the public’s confidence in massage. Luckily, in the late 1800’s, eight women launched the Society of Trained Masseuses, which recognised the importance for adequate training and standards, and so massage therapy was re-established in a favourable light (Fritz, 2004).
5. The development of professional massage in New Zealand including MINZI,
NZATMP, TMA & MNZ.
In 1985, Bill Wareham founded the Massage Institute of New Zealand Incorporated (MINZI). MINZI focused on providing a high standard of education to massage therapists in New Zealand by ensuring that teachers taught at appropriate standards. MINZI also hold yearly workshops, which massage therapists can attend in order to develop new and perfect existing skills. Not long after MINZI was established, Jim Sanford recognised the need for a professional organisation focusing on therapeutic massage, and so formed the New Zealand Association of Therapeutic Massage Practitioners (NZATMP). This organisation provides high quality training in therapeutic massage and professionalism, and now has many members from all over New Zealand. NZATMP is now known as TMA (Therapeutic Massage Association), and has a list of all therapists holding the National Diploma of Therapeutic Massage, and promotes their continued training and development of massage therapy. In 2006, a merge between MINZI and TMA produced an independent association called Massage New Zealand (MNZ). MNZ promotes the practise of professional massage, and ongoing training and support of massage in New Zealand. It is a good way for massage therapists registered in New Zealand to advertise their services, and to build a network with other practising therapists (Tuchtan, Tuchtan, & Stelfox, 2004).
6. Contemporary massage.
Contemporary massage, such as lymphatic drainage, neuromuscular approaches, orthopaedic massage and fascia work, have all developed through the 20th Century. The Vodder technique stimulates the movement of lymph fluid around the body, and is now practised worldwide, with Bruno Chikly combining lymphatic drainage and craniosacral work. These methods help with diseases like lymphadema, which block up the lymph system. Neuromuscular work, such as Travell’s trigger point therapy, and myofascial treatment, work to break up any pre-existing muscle tightness in the body’s connective tissue, and Cyriax’s orthopaedic work focuses on the rehabilitation of tissues and joints by assessing the range of motion, and limitations in normal movement. Acupressure also focuses on relaxing and releasing any muscle tension, by applying pressure to certain points on the body. These techniques are continuing to grow and become more accepted as we learn more about the contemporary approaches that are available to us (Elluminate, 2009).
7. A discussion of how the following philosophical approaches to massage (body, body-mind, body-mind-spirit) relate to the historical and cultural contexts discussed.
Holistic treatment (treatment of the mind and spirit as well as the body) is traditionally an eastern practise, while western massage is more body driven. Eastern cultures recognise the link between the body and mind, which is important in a therapeutic sense, as it aims to relax the mind via manipulation of the body. Because western massage is more medical based, it fails to encompass the mind-spirit-body association, as the mind and body are seen as completely different entities. However, holistic health care is becoming more accepted in the west, as practitioners are becoming more aware of the mind-body connection (Holey & Cook, 1997).
References
Fritz, S. (2004). Fundamentals of therapeutic massage. (3rd Ed.) Missouri, USA: Mosby Incorporated.
Holey, E., & Cook, E. (1997). Evidence based therapeutic massage. A practical guide for therapists. (2nd Ed.) Missouri, USA: Churchill Livingstone.
Molloy, F. (2009). History and Culture. Elluminate session, July 20 2009. Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand.
Riley, M. (1994). Maori healing and herbal: New Zealand ethnobotanical sourcebook. Paraparaumu, New Zealand: Viking Sevenseas.
Salvo, S. (2007). Massage therapy: Principles and practise. (3rd Ed.) Missouri, USA: Saunders Elsevier.
Tuchtan, C., Tuchtan, V., & Stelfox, D. (2004). Foundations of massage. N.S.W, Australia: Churchill Livingstone.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Time Management
Time management
Being a student takes up a lot of time. There is always class or an assignment to do, and then work, appointments and social events on top of that. Time management is the idea of organising your time, so you have enough time to get everything done to a suitable standard (Victoria University Webpage, 2007).
I have found that using a wall planner is a great way to plan out my time. I have a 6 month wall planner on which I note down any class and elluminate days in one colour, assessment dates in another colour, and other important non-negotiable appointments in another colour. This is a strength of my time management as it allows me to easily see when I have time for personal activities, and also times when I have a lot on and therefore need to save a few days prior to that for study.
Another strength for managing my study time, is to arrange study with someone else. That way I am a lot more motivated to stick with my study plan and to do some study prep before the session, to make sure I am well prepared so to not let down my study partner. However, even though I have my time so well prepared, and good intentions when it comes to negotiating time to study in, sticking to my plans is never as easy as I think it’s going to be!
One main reason why I find it difficult to stick to a study timetable, is that apart from class, allocating study time is completely voluntary. And unless I’m feeling really pressured to get something done, I can usually think of other things I would rather be doing with my spare time. But I think if I work on seeing study time as important and immovable (which I should be doing anyway), then I’ll get better at getting it done rather than putting it off!
Another weakness in my time management, is that I’m easily distracted, so my study time keeps getting pushed back and shortened. To overcome this I need to make sure I remove myself from any, or at least most, possible distractions before I start studying.
Overall, I think planning my time is my strong point, but actually sticking to my plans is something I need to work on. However, by realising the importance of study time, and by scheduling group study away from distractions, will hopefully help me to better manage my time in the future.
References
Victoria University of Wellington. (2007). Time Management. Retrieved August 7, 2009, from http://www.victoria.ac.nz/st_services/counselling/concerns/time.aspx
Being a student takes up a lot of time. There is always class or an assignment to do, and then work, appointments and social events on top of that. Time management is the idea of organising your time, so you have enough time to get everything done to a suitable standard (Victoria University Webpage, 2007).
I have found that using a wall planner is a great way to plan out my time. I have a 6 month wall planner on which I note down any class and elluminate days in one colour, assessment dates in another colour, and other important non-negotiable appointments in another colour. This is a strength of my time management as it allows me to easily see when I have time for personal activities, and also times when I have a lot on and therefore need to save a few days prior to that for study.
Another strength for managing my study time, is to arrange study with someone else. That way I am a lot more motivated to stick with my study plan and to do some study prep before the session, to make sure I am well prepared so to not let down my study partner. However, even though I have my time so well prepared, and good intentions when it comes to negotiating time to study in, sticking to my plans is never as easy as I think it’s going to be!
One main reason why I find it difficult to stick to a study timetable, is that apart from class, allocating study time is completely voluntary. And unless I’m feeling really pressured to get something done, I can usually think of other things I would rather be doing with my spare time. But I think if I work on seeing study time as important and immovable (which I should be doing anyway), then I’ll get better at getting it done rather than putting it off!
Another weakness in my time management, is that I’m easily distracted, so my study time keeps getting pushed back and shortened. To overcome this I need to make sure I remove myself from any, or at least most, possible distractions before I start studying.
Overall, I think planning my time is my strong point, but actually sticking to my plans is something I need to work on. However, by realising the importance of study time, and by scheduling group study away from distractions, will hopefully help me to better manage my time in the future.
References
Victoria University of Wellington. (2007). Time Management. Retrieved August 7, 2009, from http://www.victoria.ac.nz/st_services/counselling/concerns/time.aspx
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