Session Descriptions – 2019 Massage Therapy Winter Symposium
Massage Therapy Winter Symposium
Course Descriptions (in order of appearance)
Sat., March 2, 2019
8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Keynote: Bridging the Future of Manual Medicine
James Waslaski, LMT, CPT
Inspiring presentation about how you can and do make a difference in people’s lives. We will discuss how to define success in a way that brings healing to broken people. Explore personal stories that demonstrate the positive influence mentors can have on you.
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Anatomical Dissection and Clinical Application
David Farrar, DC, MPH
This course includes human cadaveric dissection transmitted from the gross anatomy lab and incorporates treatment modalities learned in the symposium lecture. Content includes extremity special case topics. There are eight 30-minute break out sessions that allow participants to go into the cadaver lab to view, palpate and review anatomy covered in the lecture/modalities presentation and general, regional anatomy.
Breakout Options (choose one per time period):
Offered 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. and repeated 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Choice 1: Workshop Topic 1: Eliminating Nerve-Compression Patterns of the Lower Body
James Waslaski, LMT, CPT
State of the art anatomy and nerve graphics allows you to look inside the human body. The Weber-Barstow Maneuver, and Supine to Sits Test will evaluate for functional versus anatomical leg length discrepancies. Pelvic stabilization will use positional release, muscle energy techniques, and muscle balancing protocols to address sacral torsion patterns, iliosacral upslips, joint capsular patterns, femoral nerve compression, and normal muscle firing patterns. You will level the sacral base, and release the Sacrotuberous ligament for sciatic nerve pain. The Straight Leg Test and Braggard’s Test will identify L5/ SI bulges or herniated discs. The Slump Test will identify hamstring strains or adductor strains that scar down the Sciatic Nerve. Tibial Torsions and Fixated Fibular Head Conditions will be corrected, by releasing the biceps femoris muscle, to address the Tibial and Fibular Nerve Entrapments. Learn to evaluate and release Tarasal Tunnel and Morton’s Neuroma. Home care retraining will include nerve glides and nerve tensioning protocols.
Choice 2: Beyond Inflammation: Treat the Cause Not the Symptoms
Paul Ratte, ND
It is common to blame inflammation for the burden of chronic disease. However, inflammation is the body’s protective response to eliminate foreign invaders and repair damaged tissue. Beyond Inflammation will address the underlying lifestyle and nutritional factors triggers of inflammation, in addition to natural treatments that modify the response. During this session you will learn:
1. The biochemistry of inflammation (made ridiculously simple)
2. Diet and lifestyle triggers of inflammation
3. Essential fatty acids and herbs that resolve inflammation
Choice 3: Peripheral Nerve Entrapment Compared to Central Nervous System Tissue Damage
Mary Tuchscherer, DC, PhD
The nervous system responds to tissue damage in different ways, depending on where the damage occurs. It also undergoes repair or necrosis in different ways. Minimizing long-term consequence is a primary responsibility of those engaged in the care of patients experiencing tissue damage. You will learn about the differences in response of the PNS and the CNS to damage, as well as strategies for assisting in the care and repair of the nervous system.
Choice 4: Making Research Relevant to Me (2 Research hours)
Ruth Werner, LMT
Research about massage therapy is not the abstract exercise that you might think. The best research today involves professional therapists doing work in real-life settings so that results reflect what truly happens in a massage therapy session or series.
This class will barely scratch the surface of what research can mean to you, but it will cover some current massage therapy research findings and events; some basic information on how YOU can add to the evidence base through case reports, and the we will focus applying findings to your practice—because better client outcomes means better therapist incomes! Participants are encouraged to bring tablets or other wifi-enabled devices.
Sun., March 3, 2019
Breakout Options (choose one per time period):
Offered: 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. and repeated 1:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Choice 1: Workshop Topic 2: Evaluation and Treatment of Multiple Nerve Compression Patterns – Upper Body
James Waslaski, LMT, CMT
State of the art anatomy and nerve graphics will allow you to look inside the human body. Starting with the brain and spinal cord, therapists will use positional release, muscle energy techniques, and soft tissue balancing protocols to address OA & C1-C2 fixations, cervical kyphosis (military neck), spinal stenosis patterns, stuck facet joints, and treat sprains and strains throughout the upper body. Learn several nerve tests. Complicated shoulder capsular adhesions will be addressed, and home care retraining will include spinal decompression, nerve glides and nerve tensioning protocols.
Choice 2: The Ethics of Client Communication: Talking to Clients about their Health (3.5 Ethics Hours)
Ruth Werner, LMT
How many times have you worked with a client and noticed something that made you wonder about his or her health? How many times have you felt uncomfortable discussing it?
This class addresses the delicate art of communicating professionally and with open hearts when we have concerns about our clients’ well-being. Key topics include…
- Medications that may influence bodywork choices
- Visual or palpatory signs that are red flags
- Maintaining boundaries for client safety (how to say “no” when your client says “yes”)
We will review and employ basic principles of active listening as students break into small groups to role-play a variety of difficult client-therapist conversations, all based on real-life situations provided by past participants.
Choice 3: Social Media Marketing
Ryan Hoyme, LMT
In our world, we connect in more ways than ever before! Websites are great for marketing, but social media is where current or future massage clients are looking. Learn about all the different social media platforms and how to use them effectively to market to massage clients. Not all social media platforms are created equal, so learn how to use each one for the demographics you are targeting from someone that has used social media for marketing for 12+ years.
Choice 4: Constitutional Meridian Massage Workshop (40 max.)
Colleen Moore Cadiz, L.Ac
Take your massage to the next level with Constitutional Meridian Massage, a system based in Chinese Medical Astrology that allows you to customize massages for your individual clients. With a client’s birth information, you can see the constitutional status of each of his or her 12 meridians and establish a treatment plan that will balance the meridians and optimize the overall health of the client. Also, learn how essential oils can balance the individual meridians.