MASSAGE & BODYWORK MAGAZINE
Hostage Negotiation Clients May Bring More to the Table Than You Think. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, July/August, 2020
Very good article.
COVID-19-Related Coagulopathy Blood Clotting—Through Thick and Thin. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, July/August, 2020
Important article reviewing relevant data on the COVID-19 virus.
Rhomboids. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, July/August, 2020
Informative article on the rhomboid muscles.
Scar Tissue. Not Breakable, But Changeable. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, July/August, 2020
The topic of this article is of great importance. There are some valid points regarding the theory, but it seems that practical recommendations for therapists who actually work on scar tissue are absent, and a push to buy the author’s textbook on the subject was observed.
The Grind of Chondromalacia Patellae. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, July/August, 2020
Informative article on chondromalacia patellae and anterior knee pain and dysfunction.
Masseter. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, Sep/Oct, 2020
Good article on the anatomy, physiology and palpation of the masseter muscle.
Covid-19–Related Complications. Implications For Massage Therapy. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, Sep/Oct, 2020
Informative article on a very important subject.
Doing No Harm with Prenatal and Postpartum Massage Therapy During the Coronavirus Pandemic. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, Sep/Oct, 2020
Very informative and practical article!
The Hand in the Brain. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, Sep/Oct, 2020
Great article for all therapists to read!
Overview of Muscle Pathologies. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, Sep/Oct, 2020
The article reviews muscle pathologies from stress tension to contusion. Everything the article mentioned is correct. However, one of the main causes of muscle tension, its reflex mechanism, was not even mentioned. That greatly decreases the clinical value of the article, since it presents Myofascial Trigger Points as the actual cause of muscle dysfunction, while in reality they are a secondary, reflex reaction (except in cases of trauma) that requires thorough and professional evaluation first.
Rethinking the Body’s Stress Response How to Use Bodywork as an Outlet for Psychological Stress. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, Sep/Oct, 2020
Very good article!
Skipping a Beat Cardiac Arrhythmias. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, Sep/Oct, 2020
The author’s articles are very informative about recent data on various medical issues. They are very helpful for all therapists, but especially for those who practice the clinical aspects of MT.
External Oblique. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, Sep/Oct, 2020
Good article on the external oblique muscle.
Intelligent Fascia? Massage & Bodywork Magazine, Sep/Oct, 2020
Great article! Excellent read!
Combining Manual Movement Therapies Why It Makes Sense for You And Your Clients Massage & Bodywork Magazine, Nov/Dec 2020
The ultimate clinical solution lies in a combination of techniques and modalities rather than in practicing only one on every patient/client without even considering its necessity. The article is a great illustration of the integrative approach.
Palliative Care Massage The Palmer Study Charting a New Course for Pain Management. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, Nov/Dec 2020
A long-needed article on the central impact of MT on pain management in the hospital setting.
Managing Upper Back Pain. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, Nov/Dec 2020
A very good basic review of upper back pain and its causes.
Techniques to Beat Belly Bloat Manual Therapy for Digestive Disorders. Massage & Bodywork Magazine, Nov/Dec 2020
The article provides some useful info, but we think that it is a big mistake to discuss bloating and excessive gas formation from the somatic point of view, especially its treatment.
Bloating and excessive gas formation are not the problem itself; they are consequences of a real cause. Thus, this discussion can be considered ONLY if these issues are examined by a gastroenterologist first, the medical causes have been established and proper therapy has started. If the original symptoms have been successfully addressed by a gastroenterologist, the somatic therapist can join in later, offering abdominal medical massage and work in the reflex zones associated with the GI tract.
Of course, there are situations when a gastroenterologist wasn’t able to establish the accurate cause of the symptoms and dietary changes don’t work. ONLY in these cases can a somatic therapist step in, independently examining whether a somatic cause in the form of reflex zones is to blame. Thus, the techniques discussed in the article don’t have clinical value if the mechanism of the original symptoms has not been properly established.
In regard to the techniques discussed in the article, abdominal massage is a very sophisticated therapy which requires professional expertise from the therapist. For example, the article suggested the application of sliding strokes with the thenar directed along the abdominal midline from the pubic symphysis to the epigastric area as a way to deal with bloating and excessive gas formation. Bloating, especially in the upper part of the abdomen, can be triggered by the accumulation of acidic gas in the stomach. Such accumulation is the result of different factors, from the activity of bacteria called Helicobacter pylori to the spasm and loss of proper interactions between the three layers of smooth muscle that form the walls of the stomach and are responsible for mixing ingested food with gastric juice in the stomach. That situation always occurs in cases of gastritis or peptic ulcer. The application of the suggested techniques will additionally compromise the patient’s health, since it is going to push acidic gas into the esophagus. Excessive release of gastric gases causes heartburn (with possible esophagitis), a constant cough, decreased pulmonary function (He et al., 2020) and even voice changes (Patel et al., 2018). These secondary symptoms are frequent complications of the excessive release of acidic gas and stomach contents into the esophagus and larynx.
The technique of mobilization of the descending colon suggested in the article is completely contraindicated if the patient suffers from Ulcerative Colitis (UC), for example. The formation of ulcers along the walls of the colon makes them weaker and triggers constant bleeding, pain and bloating. It is completely unsafe to use ANY colon manipulations on patients with UC. The clinical correlation between dilation of the colon and UC was firmly established long ago (Sampson and Walker, 1961).
Even during the earliest stages of UC, bloating and moderate pain can be its first symptoms, and jumping to any abdominal manipulations to address the bloating without detecting and treating its cause first is going to additionally compromise an already affected descending colon and further jeopardize the patient’s health.
REFERENCES
- He M, Zheng Y, Ma A, et al. Helicobacter pylori is associated with weakened pulmonary function and reduced incidence of allergic conditions in patients with chronic cough. Exp Ther Med. 2020;20(5):47. doi:10.3892/etm.2020.9176
- Patel DA, Blanco M, Vaezi MF. Laryngopharyngeal reflux and functional laryngeal disorder: perspective and common practice of the general gastroenterologist. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2018;14(9):512-520.
- Sampson PA, Walker FC. Dilatation of the colon in ulcerative colitis. Br Med J. 1961;2(5260):1118-2-1118-3, 1119-1123. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.5260.1119
MASSAGE TODAY
Anatomy Refresher: Structure and Mechanics of the Ankle. Massage Today. Sep/Oct 2020
Good article on the anatomy and biomechanics of the ankle joint.
Myofascial Release: Athletic, Sports and Dancing Injuries. Massage Today. Nov/Dec, 2020
Very general review of an important subject.
MASSAGE MAGAZINE
The World Under Our Skin. A Structural Theory of Connective Tissue. Massage Magazine, October 2020.
A very interesting article on the role of connective tissue. Highly recommended reading.
Common Shoulder Pathologies. New Approaches to a Highly Complex Biomechanical Region. Massage Magazine, November 2020.
Yes, the shoulder is a very complex region, and the article correctly describes its anatomy and biomechanics. However, the article does not deliver any ‘new approaches’ as stated in its title.
Category: Good Apples, Bad Apples
Tags: JMS 2020 Issue #3
