This is my first blog post in almost 2 years. I have been MIA since the world changed in the pandemic which changed my world as an online massage educator and trainer. I have done a lot of thinking and changing in that time, reorganizing businesses and discovering what I truly wanted to do. It’s funny that I chose to do the exact same thing that I did before – which is to teach and train in business and advanced pain management massage techniques – just in a more simple and profound way. I believe in massage therapy as a healing art and holistic practice. I always have. So, I…
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The Missing Link to Break the Pain-Spasm-Pain Cycle
In the old model, one would target the pain or muscle tension to try to break the cycle – anything that would put you closer to the original problem of the cycle which is typically pain. In the Pain Patters and Solutions (PPS) model, it shows you that you target the healed outcome of the injury – Scar Tissue patterns – to create the greatest possible change in the muscular system. When you target Scar Tissue instead of muscle tissue or areas of pain, you have found the bypass or stop-switch you have been looking for to stop the pain-spasm-pain model As you can also see there are 2 additional…
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Self-Care, Salt(?) and YOU – the Massage Therapist!
As bodyworkers and massage therapists, we know that we need to GET bodywork to keep GIVING bodywork. But, what else do we need to do that is classified in the realm of “self-care”? Working with people in the way that we do- touching for prolonged periods of time- makes our self-care a bit more involved and perhaps a little different than you’d think. There are 3 areas to consider about our bodies when it comes to self-care: Regular bodywork The Scar Tissue Patterns our body creates Electricity and Salt Regular Bodywork Getting frequent bodywork is only part of this equation. But overall, you have to realize that you are using…
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The Biggest Problem with Selling Gift Certificates for Massage Therapists
The #1 problem massage therapists face when trying to sell gift certificates is that they are typically not available in-person in sell them. Most of us are working our little hearts out, in a room with a client for 60 minutes, with the door shut. It is unrealistic and unprofessional to leave a massage to sell a gift certificate to someone else. This works if you work in a multi office setting and there is someone managing the front desk. However, if you are a single-person entity, it just doesn’t work! If this is you, then it’s time to come up with a solution on how to create a process…
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Where Does a Lumbar Bulging Disc Start?
Your back is really hurting, and the Doctor tells you that you have a bulging disc in your lower back. There is pain down your leg and your foot is tingly and numb. Now what? The first thing I tell my clients is that you don’t just “get” a bulging disc one day. There are certain factors that start creating a bulging disc, typically years before it ever shows up. The question you have to start asking yourself is this: If the reaction to those factors ends up being a bulging disc, then what are the actions that caused it to begin with? Because if you work with those factors…
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Do You Have a Pain in Your Neck?
We have a treat for you in today’s blog post for Cervical Neck Pain! Included in this post are 3 short hands-on videos from our series PAINLess which are “quick fixes” for Trigger Point Patterns for the general public and hands-on for therapists as an introduction to the PPS Concepts. PPS (Pain Patterns & Solutions) Bodywork has a couple of unique solutions for Cervical Neck Pain. Today, we are going to cover: Back of the Neck (C2-C7) Base of the Skull (C1 Release Technique) Back of the Neck Pain from Whiplash (Platysma) Back of the Neck (C2-C7) We teach what is called a Direct Correlation for Cervical Neck Pain in…
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Should You Offer Punch Cards for Your Clients?
I think punch cards are a great option for you and your clients. As a general rule, people tend to come in more often when they know they have a punch card with you. It does seem to help you fill up your appointment book a little easier. However, punch cards can have a downside to them and it has to do with how you view them as the business owner. Many (many) of the therapists that I have talked to about punch cards learned this lesson pretty early on when offering punch cards. The great thing about punch cards is it is a guaranteed number of appointments for you.…
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What Is Touch Interpretation?
At the heart of it, Touch Interpretation is a form of art that is really about you: Your filters Your experiences Your ability to sense; intuition Your ability to read into what your client tells you about their needs and body Your latest training and understanding Your hands leading the experience, with your mind close behind (not the other way around) As many new therapists discover, there is a natural gap that exists between learning massage techniques and how your touch becomes 2nd nature to you and your clients. The gap closes the longer you practice massage and understand your new skills. However, I believe that there are ways that…
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NEW 2 CE Hour Sciatica & Piriformis Pain Class Available!
Click here to view the 2 CE Hour Piriformis Pain Course inside the PPS Seminars.
