Orthopedic Massage

Students are required to attend one weekend during the course of their training. This weekend will either be in April or October depending on which time of the year their course is.

James Waslaski will be the seminar speaker for this weekend. His unique seminars go far beyond the traditional clinical sports massage training by addressing all the common medical and orthopedic conditions found in most clients. You will learn to release pain immediately by combining ssequences of functional assessment skills, myofascial release, neuromuscular therpy, cross fiber and multidirectional friction, muscle energy work, P.N.F. stretching, neuromuscular re-education, structural balancing, patient home care, and much more. The combination of these techniques allows you to obtain immediate and permanent results in even the most challenging and complicated client conditions.

This seminar focuses on restoring pain free joint range of motion and integrating complete structural balance. You will be addressing chronic pain and sports injury conditions with emphasis on knowing the underlying causes and pathology of each condition.

Students will also have a week of reviewing the techniques which were learned at the seminar which will better enable them to use these techniques in their practice.

 

Active Isolated Stretching

This portion of the course is based on Aaron Mattes' Active Isolated Stretching Technique. For the past 30 years, Aaron Mattes' training and education of functional Anatomy & Kinesiology provided a basis for his innovative therapeutic technique - Active Isolated Stretching (AIS). AIS has been incorporated into a therapeutic Myofascial technique termed the Mattes Method. The Mattes Method promotes functional and physiological restoration of muscles, tendons, vertebrae, ligaments and joints facilitating healthier superficial and deep fascial planes.

AIS is a major part of Orthopedic Massage. Therefore learning the Mattes Method will enhance the therapist's Orthopedic education. Through the Mattes Method, students will learn how to care for themselves as well as their clients.

 

Myofascial Release

Myofascial will be taught for one week. It will focus on what fascia is and what fascia is made of. Various techniques will be taught to enable the student to loosen the fascia in the body which will allow deeper penetration of the muscle tissue for optimal results. Postural analysis will also be taught during this portion to better understand which muscles need to be addressed as well as where the fascia may be restricted.

 

Trigger Point

This technique was developed by Richard Finn based on Travell and Simons Trigger Point Manual. This class will give a basic understanding of Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction. The course will describe what Myofascial Trigger Points are and how they are treated. Upon completion the student will have a basic understanding of how to identify Myofascial Trigger Points, as well as how to balance the pelvis, the biomechanics in Myofascial Therapy, a shoulder girdle treatment, and a head and cervical treatment.