INTERNET VISIBILITY and MASSAGE

Welcome to my blog!  This is my first entry and my intention is to share my business and massage experience in a way that will be helpful to my fellow therapists! 

My background:   I have been practicing massage therapy since 2000.  I opened a retail massage studio in 2002 and another in 2005 (both in Colorado).  I currently employ over 30 massage therapists. In 2006 Fitness Together Franchise Corporation began franchising my business model.  We currently have 80 franchises sold in the United States, Costa Rica, Ireland and England.

My advice:  I have noticed over the past 8 years in business that customers don?t look at yellow pages that much anymore, they use the internet.  One way you can increase your business visibility on the internet is to put a free listing on ?google?.  To do this, go to www.google.com/local/add.   Sign up for a free ?google? account if you do not have one and then add your business listing, it is FREE!  Good Luck!

Denticulate Ligaments.

Denticulate Ligaments (DLs) are strands of connective tissue that suspend the spinal cord within its membrane sac, which is called the dual tube.

The dural tube is comprised of three layers of membrane surrounding the spinal cord. The membrane layer attached to the surface of the spinal cord is called the pia mater. The layer surrounding the pia mater is called the arachnoid membrane, and the layer surrounding the arachnoid membrane is called the dura mater.

DLs extend from the inner surface of the pia mater, travel through the pia mater, through the arachnoid membrane and then attach to the inner surface of the dura mater.

There are 21 pairs of DLs on the lateral aspects of the spinal cord. The first is attached to the foramen magnum. The last is attached to the conus medullaris, which is the end of the spinal cord at L1, and a small portion of the Filum Terminale (FT) beginning at the conus medullaris. The FT is a band of tissue extending from the conus medullaris to the coccyx that is made of spinal cord glial cells surrounded by pia mater.

DLs and FT shortening, twisting, bending or immobility can place adverse stress upon the spinal cord leading to neurological strain and dysfunction. Conversely, balancing the DLs and FT can decrease spinal cord stress which in turn can enhance neurological function.

DLs are fascinating components of the dural tube that seem, to me, to create a ligamentous suspension system cradling the spinal cord. Very little DL research is available.

These questions arise when I ponder and work the DLs and FT:

1) Since the spinal cord needs to move in its bony container more than the brain tissue does in its container, do the DLs provide protection and flexibility while allowing motion?

2) The dura mater of the dural tube is only one layer thick rather than the two layers within the cranium, so do the DLs create additional tube strength without compromising movement?

3) As the spinal cord moves within the spinal canal do the DLs, like thousands of tiny interlinked bungee cords, help dissipate stress and allow the spinal cord to find its most favorable position?

4) Structures that can affect the spinal cord, such as the occiput, spinal column, sacrum and coccyx, dural tube, adipose tissue within the spinal canal and nerve roots can each have restrictive patterns that in turn can distress the spinal cord. Do the DLs help to protect the spinal cord by balancing, dissipating and fine-tuning tension that is transmitted to the spinal cord?

5) Some theories suggest that there is a down and up flow of cerebrospinal fluid within the dural tube. Since the DLs separate the dural tube into anterior and posterior compartments, could that then organize the flow of cerebrospinal fluid?

I hope you?ll join me next month to explore this suspension system further. I’ll share some ideas on how to feel and work with DLs and the FT.

References:
Cramer, Gregory D., D.C., Ph.D., and Darby, Susan A., Ph.D., Basic and Clinical Anatomy of the Spine, Spinal Cord, and ANS, Second Edition, Elsevier Mosby, St. Louis, Missouri, 2005.

Sills, Franklyn, Craniosacral Biodynamics, Volume Two, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California, 2004.

Tubbs, Shane R., M.S., PA-C; Salter, George, Ph.D.; Grabb, M.D.; and Oakes, Jerry W., M.D. ; ?The denticulate ligament: anatomy and functional significance?, J. Neurosurg: Spine / Volume 94 / April 2001.

               Academic institutions that are already running massage therapy programs should be thinking about new ways to grow and evolve them in order to create real quality programs, remain competitive and regain the edge in this rapidly evolving field. Based on my experience, there are many ways in which academic institutions can strengthen their massage therapy programs. I?m only discussing one of them in this blog but some of the others can be accessed in a recent article I wrote at my website: www.Schenkmanconsulting.com at the bottom of the home page. It’s entitled: Massage Therapy Training – The Next Step.  

               Implementing any one of them can make a big difference in the success of the program or school. Institution decision makers should take some time to consider which ways apply to their particular school. Since each institution is in a different place in the evolution of their massage programs, differences in overall mission, philosophy, curriculum, staff and faculty from one school to another will dictate which changes are more relevant to any individual school. However, whether or not any of them apply, it can be extremely beneficial to reflect on these ways and take an objective look at what, if anything, to do next!?

The ?Smorgasbord Syndrome?

                All too often institutions, particularly those with less hours to spare, stuff their programs with a multitude of short courses in different modalities of massage therapy and bodywork in the hopes and mistaken belief that this will somehow have a positive outcome for the graduate and for the school. I call this the ?smorgasbord syndrome.? Although it?s a marketing dream and it may look attractive, appetizing and exciting to an uneducated, prospective enrollee, (as in ?look at all I?m going to learn if I enroll in this program?), it unfortunately frequently produces a program that turns out graduates very weak in the fundamentals and ineffective in the basic foundations and technical competencies of treatment. As a result, it can backfire in a lower pass rate for the school on the licensing/certification exam which can ultimately have serious repercussions for accreditation, Title IV funding, etc….

               Employees who hire these graduates complain about lower competence levels and unprofessional demeanors and don?t keep them on staff. The inability for a school?s graduates to hold on to a job will seriously damage the Institution?s placement stats creating further accreditation and financial aid complications. And it?s not long after that when these graduates begin to wake up to the fact that the program they graduated from was, ?a mile wide and an inch deep.? That said longer programs, wisely developed, do have the room to offer and competently teach a broader array of forms of massage and bodywork which can be of great benefit to the graduate and to the clients they treat.

It is recommended that as a bottom line all basic, entry level professional programs should be at least 600 hours and should be focused on no more than two treatment modalities, i.e., Swedish massage and Shiatsu, or Swedish massage and Deep Tissue,?….. Given that all the other hours need to be spent on adequately teaching the biosciences including: A&P, muscle anatomy, kinesiology, pathology, clinic internship, professional development, ethics and business, etc.. spending precious hours on trying to teach four or five more modalities basically robs the student of a balanced education. Those hours have to come from somewhere!

               An additional modality can be introduced in a 600 hour program, but it should be made clear to students that it is only an introduction and that real competence will come after many more hours of continuing education classes and practice. Upgrading, revising and staying a cut above by offering a longer, more comprehensive program that is marketed properly can reinvigorate a massage therapy school or program and is something that should be carefully considered.  

Here are 5 guidelines to follow for best results when considering healthy food for a healthy diet:

1.    Keep the colon clean by reducing or eliminating meat and dairy and eating more fiber.  Meat takes so long to digest that it often leaves behind a trail of toxic waste in the colon.  Dairy products create a lining of mucus on the inside of the colon that prevents valuable nutrients from being absorbed by the rest of the body.  Healthy foods high in fiber help keep the colon clean, scrub away the mucus and provide a feeling of satisfaction.

2.    Eat more whole foods.  Healthy diets rich in naturally healthy foods like whole grains, dark green and yellow/orange-fleshed vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, contain high concentrations of antioxidants, fibers and numerous other plant nutrients that may be protective against chronic diseases.

3.    Drink, drink, drink – not just water, but healthy drinks that make water intake more productive.  Use health drinks with live enzymes from whole food ingredients.  Bottled, enhanced vitamin waters are overly processed and do not contain live enzymes or whole food vitamins.  Eliminate sodas and junky sports drinks made with chemical isolates.  Also, be very careful with caffeine and alcohol.

4.    Get more nutrition in fewer calories, which is easier than ever using concentrated whole foods (better than juicing without the hassle).  There are plenty of healthy food concentrates available now to make this a good way to fill any nutritional gaps in a healthy diet.

5.    Eat frequent, small amounts throughout the day, rather than three big meals.  See this Daily Healthy Food Plan for more tips.

Following these 5 guidelines for healthy food selection makes it possible to maintain a healthy diet for life.  It gives the body power to REGENERATE rather than DEGENERATE.  Read more about the Philosophy of Regeneration and remember this quote, ?whatever goes in the mouth either builds the body up or tears it down.?

I am moved and inspired by recent remembrances of Ted Kennedy?s life and accomplishments. Something in the stories of who he was and how he lived has stirred something deep within me.

He was clearly a man who believed in redemption. He lived a full life ? full-hearted, full of mistakes. Yet he was also full of integrity, and the belief that the world could be a better place if he worked to make it so.

He was brought to his knees many times throughout his career, physically, emotionally and politically. Yet each time, his capacity to recover and come back better enabled him to go on.

He had more loss and responsibility placed on his shoulders than most people experience in three lifetimes. What?s more impressive is what he did in response.

Yes, he grieved deeply. But each time he chose to pick up the torch and go on, strengthening his commitment to what he stood for ? a better world where the voiceless get heard, where the poor are remembered, and where healthcare is universal and not a just privilege for those who can afford it.

Senator Kennedy was clearly a lifelong learner not afraid to try new things. With each mistake he made and each loss he suffered, he didn?t just endure them. He did not become more callous.

He grew from each experience no matter how painful, and he grabbed life more fully in the aftermath. His legacy of five decades of vital legislation and lasting friendships on both sides of the aisle bear witness to that fact.

He had another valuable trait that we all need to remember, especially now. He knew how to reach out for the resources he needed every step of the way.

His wife Victoria is credited with being a powerful resource that saved his life. The staff he trusted implicitly was a resource that made his work possible. Spending time on the ocean was a resource that renewed and healed him. Over and over, he connected with healthy resources that allowed him to carry on.

Someone shared that his generous spirit called those around him to higher ground, and to release their pettiness when there were differences between them. In story after story, I heard how he showed up for his friends, colleagues and family members in their own times of need and loss. He literally showed up at the door, called repeatedly, or used his presence to get them the help they needed.

Ted Kennedy was a man of tremendous presence, born from a family imbued with an essence that mandated them to ?do good? and create a better world. He clearly contributed to that. But what?s impressed me most was his hard work and unflagging persistence in ?staying the course,? day in and day out, for more than five decades in the Senate.

He used his gifts and he persisted. And his presence grew from that.

When all is said and done, Ted Kennedy?s hard work and daily commitment to what he believed in left us with a legacy like none other.

As bodyworkers, we have a tremendous amount to give in the ?do good? department. Now I?m even more inspired to make a difference in all ways, large and small, in my own world given my gifts.

None of us is perfect or even close. Ted Kennedy is a testament to that, too. But what we do supports health. What we do helps people relax and relieve themselves of pressure. What we do reduces stress and helps people manage their lives better.

We help them feel more at home in the incredible navigational system of their bodies. And living from inside their bodies leads to wiser decisions, better self-esteem, more creativity and more joy. That?s a vital role we serve in healthcare, now and in the coming decades.

So your mandate, should you choose to accept it, is to stay your own course. Grab life with both hands and live it. Grow from the adversity life hands you and learn from it all.

Learn to take care of yourself. People are depending on you.

And persist. Keep sharing your gifts. When the time comes, your eulogy will be filled with what you want it to say ? all the ways in which you made a positive difference in your world.

In the meantime?enjoy!

Advertisers work hard to persuade the public that some so-called, ?natural foods? are healthy, regardless of the ingredients. Sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, trans fats and isolated chemicals are a few of those ingredients that have been linked to health challenges.  Repeatedly, ?natural? foods are cleverly disguised as healthy, when in fact they are not.

Paying closer attention to how natural foods are manufactured means looking beyond nutrition fact labels.  Consumers can steer clear of advertising hype by learning more about the differences between natural foods, and overly processed foods that are labeled as ?natural?.  With the right information, it is easier to live a healthier lifestyle without being led off course by clever ad campaigns.

Natural foods not only provide more usable fuel, they are easier on the digestive system. The significance of choosing truly natural foods is that the digestive system knows how to efficiently break down their components using the appropriate amount of energy.  On the flip side, foods that contain numerous additives and isolated chemicals take a longer amount of time to digest. They force the body to work harder to metabolize the additives.

Fiber is an important element that is frequently absent from the modern diet, but is abundant in many natural foods. High fiber foods help protect the body against certain preventable illnesses such as colon cancer, obesity, heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol.

In general, it is important to remember that natural foods do not include ingredients like preservatives, hydrogenated oils, trans fats, artificial sweeteners, added colors, flavors or isolated chemicals that do more harm than good.

I have a son with Down syndrome. Respiratory and sinus issues create a huge challenge in the day to day health of someone with DS. My pediatrician told me that because of his head shape, my son would have to live with the infections and the subsequent cracked and bleeding nose and lips. After my son suffered with constant infections for 4 years, I decided to start researching natural ways to support his health. I was on a mission to not only remove the symptoms but actually evoke a permanent healing. I took a class on the healing benefits of essential oils. I started applying oils directly to his sinus cavity, chest and feet. I diffused oils into the air with a cold air diffuser that allowed him to breath in the droplets while he was sleeping. He started getting better.

 The first month I used tons of oils on him – going through 6-8 15ml bottles. The next month I used less and by the end of 3 months the infections were gone! For the next year at the start of each season he would begin to get some mucus but once again I applied essential oils to his sinus cavity, in his nose and on his feet. I also diffused them into the air. Within days the symptoms were gone and never got to the infection stage.

Now seven years later, he is rarely sick. Last year he got an award at school for not missing one day. Imagine a child who is supposed to have a genetically low immune system not missing one day of school! This year he would have gotten the same award but we took him out of school for a week to visit his grandparents in Europe.

 Passionate about essential oils? You bet I am. Passionate about using oils with my massage clients? Absolutely. Essential oils deliver much more than relaxation. That is the ?aroma? part of essential oils. What can also be offered is the ?therapy? part?..this is where the grade of oil you use becomes more important than what you use it for.

More on that next time…..

Aromatically yours,

Maria

This weekend while I was teaching ethics to a class of 23 people, I asked how many present have read the Practice Act. As usual, the answer was TWO. I wonder how people think they can comply with the law if they don’t know what it is. I wonder if they know they can have input whenever the act is opened, as it occasionally is. I wonder if they know they can attend massage board meetings; that holds true everywhere, not just in my state; a public board is obligated to have open meetings and to offer a time period for public comment. If they don’t know, it isn’t because I haven’t attempted to personally spread the word–I do it all the time.

There is a lot going on in our profession right now. This week, the AMTA is holding their annual convention. I’ll be heading to Orlando tomorrow to participate. Since representatives from the National Certification Board, the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, the Massage Therapy Research Foundation, and many others will be on hand, it’s an opportunity to meet those people in person and give them a little feedback.

Last week of the first draft of the Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge project was released, along with the solicitation for comments. We’ve also heard the recent announcement about the formation of the Alliance for Massage Therapy, the new organization led by Rick Rosen; the hiring of Angela Palmier and Christopher Alvarado as new Industry Relations Specialists for the NCB; the NCB’s announcement of morphing into a membership/insurance organization, and their recent announcement about a general advanced certification, which based on the comments on this blog, not too many people seem excited about. Those comments have been forwarded to the leadership of the NCB. We’ve got the MBLEx gaining ground and more states joining the Federation. We’ve got more states forming boards and enacting legislation than ever before. We’ve got more regulation of massage therapy than any other time before.

There are so many current issues that affect our profession. And as a massage therapist, that means they directly affect you. Have you voiced your opinion? Contacted the NCB? Attended a meeting or written a letter to your state board? Been in touch with your legislators? Written a letter to the editor of your trade publications? Weighed in on this or the thousands of other blogs and discussion groups that exist on the Internet? Do you belong to a professional association, and do you let them know what you think, or do you just automatically pay your dues and maintain the status quo?

I am not going to sit on my hands while things go on that have the potential to affect me and my colleagues. I’ve used this blog plenty of times to complain about something, and to give the occasional pat on the back, but that’s not the only action I take. When legislation comes up that affects the practice of massage in my state, I contact my legislators, and I send out announcements to every therapist on my email list. As a current member of the board in my state, I am obligated to be at meetings, but the fact is I attended quite a few before I was appointed, and plan to continue that when my term is over, so I can voice my opinion. I have written the leadership of AMTA on numerous occasions. I haven’t single-handedly managed to change anything, but I always get a response, and it’s good to know they’re listening. I haven’t just written about the NCB; I’ve also written directly to them.

Maybe people just don’t realize that they have the right to speak up. If that’s the case, I’m telling you now, you have the right. If something that affects us and our profession is on the horizon, why don’t you take a few minutes to voice your opinion? Write a letter. Make a phone call. Send a fax or an email. Post an answer to this blog or someone else’s, or write one of your own. Get involved. Don’t sit on your hands.

When I worked in a spa setting, the offering of aromatherapy – with a $10 price tag – was little more than an application of some highly diluted vague smelling oil with a name like Tranquility. Is this what aromatherapy really is?

When you look at the historic roots of aromatherapy it is the use of pure, undiluted, unaltered, essential oils for healing the body, mind, and spirit. After all, the father of modern day aromatherapy, Rene Gattefosse, put his hand in a vat of undiluted lavender oil and his severe burns were healed.  

So how did this wonderful modality that can do everything from heal burns, repair tissues, and clean out receptor sites turn into such a watered down offering? Let’s take a look at how aromatherapy is taught, presented, and represented.

We are taught you must dilute 95% with carrier oils so the oils will do no harm (and this is because….?), you can’t use wintergreen (because synthetic methyl salicylate will kill you), and many other precautions. I agree that precautions are necessary, but it is as if we progressed to a place where before you can go out of the house you have to dilute the air by putting a bubble around you because you might catch a cold, or you might get sunburn, or it might smell bad.

So what would it be like to never feel the sun on your skin – and the vitamin D it delivers – to never smell the pure ocean air –  and the healing negative ions you would breathe in – to never experience the healing benefits of air because you are so afraid of perceived negative side effects of breathing pure air?

Aromatherapy is an ancient healing art that was used by the Egyptians thousands of years ago, by the Biblical peoples, and even further back in Ayurvedic practice in India. Today, undiluted use of pure therapeutic-grade essential oils (see my last post) is being practiced around the world with wonderful results.

One of my most favorite quotes about massage therapists beliefs about money comes from one of my favorite books written by Steve Capellini called “Making the Switch to Being Rich”.   I don’t think that many have heard of or read this book but it is very interesting in many ways.  First it is a story of how Steve was a member of the “Moonies” in the early 70’s I think it was.  They were a cult basically.  Steve’s father had him taken away and deprogrammed by a specialist.   He equates the process of deprogramming of brainwashing from his experience with what massage therapists need to do to snap out of it – it being the moneyless bubble where massage therapists gather and live in.

In it he says this about massage therapists:

If there is an entire group of people who are almost all inside the moneyless bubble, it’s massage therapists.  We want to help people and heal them.  We want to ease their aching muscles and soothe their unquiet souls.  We want meaningful interactions with our clients.  We do not, for the most part want to focus on the monetary aspects of our jobs.

Why do massage therapists equate making money with doing something evil?  Why do massage therapists so easily give of their time and sacrifice making money in order to help people?  Why do they think that it is more “noble” to live in poverty or without and help others?  Why do they think that making money for doing something so loving and caring is not right?

Money is just money.  It really isn’t worth anything anymore.  There is no gold in the banks backing up the money.  Our money is just currency – something to trade for products and services.  How we get so many hangups about money comes from the beliefs we adopt at an early age without having the opportunity to question those beliefs.

Some common beliefs about money are:

• Money is the root of all evil
• People with money must have  sold their soul to get it
• People with money must be doing something illegal to get it
• I get enough in the form of being appreciated by clients
• Living simply is a better way of life because you don’t need much
• If you are rich you are focused on materialist things and not caring and helping people.
• You can’t care and make money too.
• You are not in this for the money
• You can’t make money doing something that you love

The thing is that most of these beliefs about money just are not true.  As Steve also says in his book people become massage therapists to further prove their beliefs about money.  It is sort of a self serving prophesy.

There are a few ways to start looking at what your beliefs about money are.  You can just start thinking about what you think or say when you see people with money or driving a fancy car.  Are you jealous?  Angry even?  ( I had a client who once owned a Bently and he sold it back to the dealer because so many people were keying it because they were one of those things – jealous and/or angry) .  What do you think about the idea of being able to charge $100 a session for a massage?  Do you think it is impossible?  That no one would pay it?  That it would be impossible to stay in business or even get clients at that rate?

Beliefs are just the perspective or filter that you see things through.  Everyone has them and lives their lives through them.  Some see the glass half empty and others the glass half full.  We think something is true because we think it is true.

Understanding and becoming aware of the belief systems that you have about money and success is a process that takes time and learning more about how beliefs are formed and how they impact your every decision.  It is a process of learning to take responsibility for the outcomes of your actions that are based on these old beliefs.  It isn’t about blaming yourself for where you are.  It is just being willing to accept what happens when you make decisions and then change that response to get a different outcome.

Once you are more aware of these unconscious beliefs that drive your actions you can then begin to change your actions to get better results.  Instead of blaming your lack of success in your business or in the massage job market  you can start seeing that it is a result of your actions or lack of actions.  There was a particular online forum recently just wanting to blame everything on the economy.  Is it the economy or lack of financial preparation and planning?  Lack of marketing or not figuring out the right marketing method that works?

The reason I keep writing about this is yes I was once in the moneyless bubble mindset.  Until I started my websites and started making money online, I always just made just enough to live on.  I didn’t care for the most part either.  Now I know better.  A career in massage is not a license to live in poverty or even simply.  You can have whatever you want if you are willing to start thinking and challenging your beliefs about money.   While Meagan Holub’s book the Magic Touch: How to make $100,000 as a massage therapist is being released – what is the next level even that this could go to? Could a massage therapist make $250,000 ??  $500,000?   or become multi-millionaires like Bonnie Brown former massage therapist at Google.