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Helpful Links
- The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork:
- Standards of Practice:
- Code of Ethics:
- American Massage Therapy Association:
- Healing Arts Connection:
- Integrative Bodywork Institute Mission Statement:
- History of CranioSacral Therapy:
- Mesothelioma Cancer:
What is Mesothelioma Cancer?
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FAQs
What are the benefits of massage?
The field of therapeutic massage and bodywork draws from touch therapies of both Western and non-Western traditions. Practitioners incorporate knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology to address soft tissue dysfunctions, stress related conditions and energy imbalances.
- Relieving back pain
- Boosting immune system
- Reducing anxiety
- Lowering blood pressure
- Treating migraines
- Decreasing carpal tunnel symptoms
- Easing post-operative pain
- Alleviating side effects of cancer
Source: American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) Fact Sheets.
What types of massage and bodywork techniques are part of the national certification program?
NCBTMB's program includes practitioners from all modalities and disciplines, including Swedish massage, shiatsu, polarity therapy, Rolfing®, Trager® techniques, reflexology, neuromuscular therapy and more.
What is the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork?
It is an independent, private, nonprofit organization established to set high standards of ethical and professional practice through a recognized, credible credentialing program. NCBTMB certifies massage therapists and bodyworkers on behalf of the profession, and for the benefit of consumers, employers and practitioners. Currently, there are more than 90,000 nationally certified practitioners – and NCBTMB examinations are used/recognized in statute or rule by 33 states, plus the District of Columbia.
Why is national certification important?
National certification sets high standards for massage and bodywork practitioners. It protects consumers and employers by ensuring that certified practitioners have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their job – and that they are committed to upholding NCBTMB's Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.
Why certified practitioners?
What is the most important reason for insisting on an NCBTMB certified professional? You are. Because whether you're visiting a massage therapist or bodyworker for relaxation, rehabilitation or rejuvenation, you deserve to be treated by a practitioner who is both skilled and knowledgeable. And that's what the NCBTMB credential stands for – a commitment to excellence.
To become nationally certified, a practitioner must demonstrate mastery of core skills and knowledge, pass an NCBTMB standardized exam, uphold the organization's Standards of Practice
Definitions
Sports Massage
Sports massage is applied to athletes to help them train and perform free of pain and injuries. Massage therapists blend classic Swedish strokes with such methods as compression, pressure-point therapy, cross-fiber friction, joint mobilization, hydrotherapy and cryotherapy (ice massage) to meet the special needs of high-level performers and fitness enthusiasts.
Swedish Massage
Swedish massage is also known as the Western or classic style of massage. It is credited to the Swedish fencing master and gymnastics instructor, Per Henrik Ling. It is a scientific system of manipulations on the muscles and connective tissues of the body for the purpose of relaxation, rehabilitation or health maintenance. Swedish massage therapy is comprised of five basic strokes and their variations: effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapotement (or percussion) and vibration.
Manual Lymph Drainage
Manual lymph drainage is a gentle method of promoting movement of lymph into and through the lymphatic vessels. It reduces edema, a condition in which the tissues of the body contain an excessive amount of fluid.3
Massage
Massage is the intentional and systematic manipulation of the soft tissues of the body to enhance health and healing. Joint movements and stretching are commonly performed as part of massage. The primary characteristics of massage are touch and movement.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is a general term for health and healing practices involving touch and movement, which are based in massage and related manual techniques.
Myofascial Release
Myo means muscle and fascia is the elastic connective tissue wrapped around muscles and other parts of the body. During myofascial release restrictions (stuck areas) are located and gentle sliding pressure is applied in the direction of the restriction to stretch the tissues. The stretching of tissues and the heat imparted by the practitioner's hands are thought to help produce a softer consistency of fascial tissues.
Craniosacral
Cranio refers to the cranium, which is the bony part of the head. Sacral refers to the bony bottom of the spine called the sacrum. In the 1900s Dr. William Sutherland, an osteopathic physician, discovered cranio movement. In the 1970s Dr. John Upledger, an osteopathic doctor, helped to further Sutherland's discovery as both an evaluative tool and a corrective one. Craniosacral therapy is a light touch manipulation of the head and bottom of the spine to restore optimal cerebrospinal fluid movement. It can be especially useful in treating headaches, eye and ear problems, jaw problems, whiplash and back pain.1
Deep Tissue Massage
Deep tissue massage is also called deep muscle therapy or deep tissue therapy. It is an umbrella term for bodywork systems that work deeply into the muscles and connective tissue to release chronic aches and pains.
Chi Nei Tsang (http://www.chineitsang.com/cnti/Welcome.html)
Chi Nei Tsang is a holistic approach to the healing touch modality of old Taoist Chinese origin. It integrates the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our being. CNT goes to the very origin of health problems, including psychosomatic responses.
Chi Nei Tsang literally means “working the energy of the internal organs” or “internal organs chi transformation.” CNT uses all the principles of Kung-Fu and Tai Chi Chuan known as Chi-Kung; therefore, CNT is a form of “applied Chi Kung.”
CNT practitioners are trained in Chi-Kung and work mainly on the abdomen with deep, soft and gentle touches, to train internal organs to work more efficiently. Unprocessed emotional charges are also addressed in this manner, as well as all of the body systems: digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular, lymphatic, nervous, endocrine, urinary, reproductive, muscular-skeletal, and the acupuncture meridian system (Chi).
CNT came into being millennia ago in the mountain ranges of Taoist China. It was used by monks in monasteries to help detoxify, strengthen and refine their bodies in order to maintain the high energy required to perform the highest levels of spiritual practices.
Today CNT is Mainly Used for Four Different Reasons:
- CNT detoxifies: CNT manipulations help relieve the body of excess stagnation, improving elimination and stimulating the lymphatic and the circulatory systems. CNT also strengthens the immune system and resistance to diseases. In doing so, CNT augments other health care modalities with optimal results. (Clients using CNT before and after surgery recover better and faster.
- CNT helps to restructure and strengthen the body: because it addresses the visceral structures and positioning of internal organs, CNT stimulates them to work better and also helps correct the postural problems resulting from visceral imbalances. It releases deep-seated tensions and restores vitality. CNT has been helpful with chronic pains such as back, neck and shoulder pains and problems related to misalignment of the feet, legs and pelvis.
- CNT helps practitioners to deal better with their emotional life: all of our unprocessed emotional life is stored in our digestive system waiting to be addressed. Poor emotional digestion is also one of the main reasons for ill health. CNT facilitates the unfolding of emotions and the clarification of our emotional life. This makes it possible for us to evolve and grow in the direction of our better self. CNT has also been successfully used in combination with psychotherapy.
- CNT teaches clients to know themselves better: at the Chi Nei Tsang Institute, we believe that we are all responsible for our own health and that healing comes from within. We teach you techniques to improve your breathing as well as fundamental self-help techniques. We also provide: guidance in personalizing your diet and other health-related lifestyle matters, and specific and relevant visualization and meditation practices to further enhance the effect of manual treatments.
Articles
Written by Norb Peil, published in Arizona Gourmet Living Magazine, Winter 2008.The benefits of incorporating regular massage into your News Year's resolution-based exercise and healthy lifestyle regime.
Yes, it's that time again. It's time to make your resolutions for the New Year. As we all know too well, it's much easier to make the resolutions than it is to keep them in the days and months of the year that follows. I'd like to suggest that if you include a regularly scheduled massage into your plan for exercise and a healthy lifestyle, it will help you achieve your goals.
The Touch Research Institute of the School of Medicine at the University of Miami has conducted over 100 studies on the positive effects of regular massage therapy. Among the many significant findings of these studies, several factors stand out that have a direct bearing on the impact of massage therapy on someone who is just beginning a new fitness program. Regular massage therapy, reports TRI, relieves pain and soreness, decreases anxiety and stress, increases flexibility, balance, and posture, improves alertness, and enhances immunological function in the body.
Anyone who begins a new fitness program usually experiences some pain. The pain may range from general stiffness and aching, to cramping, to more severe soreness. It is in the area of pain relief that massage therapy can offer tremendous benefits. Muscle soreness or pain is often the result of stresses caused by imbalances between muscles or groups of muscles. A massage therapist can work out inflammation and help to release contracted muscles and relive stretched muscles so that balance can be restored and the pain relieved.
Studies conducted with dancers showed that not only did massage therapy relieve pain; it also improved their balance, posture, and performance. Here's what I think these findings mean for you as you begin your New Year's resolution for health and fitness.
Typically, muscles that have not been exercised suffer from poor cellular circulation. Over time, waste products and acids build up in the cells. You may have felt the results of this build up when you rub a muscle and it feels lumpy or crunchy. Massage therapy breaks up these deposits and moves them out of the muscle cells so that they can be eliminated from the body. Once this has occurred the muscles are able to move more freely and efficiently. Muscles that can move freely and efficiently are less likely to hurt. Not only that, but as our ability to exercise improves, our motivation to exercise also picks up. When we feel better and see positive results when we look in the mirror it becomes much easier to continue the regimen that we have chosen.
Regular massage therapy has many other positive benefits such as reducing stress levels and increasing alertness as well as possibly enhancing our immune system. The one common key in all the studies was the regularity of the massages. Timing ranged from several times a week to once a month. The therapeutic value of the massages seemed to peak at about three weeks between massages and dropped off significantly from then on.
I hope that you have found the information in this article helpful and wish you wellness in the coming year.