Some problems with Massage todayby Martin Kingston This article appeared in the newsletter for BodyworkersLondon.com
This article presents the personal view of the author and not necessarily the view of bodyworkersLONDON.com So why is massage a confusion of recreation and therapy? Why this confusion of names for massage? Why are there so few experienced masseurs? Why are most masseurs poorly skilled and poorly paid? What is wrong with massage training today? What is being done about it? Craving for Therapeutic TouchIn this age of alienation and high stress, people crave the reassurance of physical touch. As a way to de-stress, it helps us recover from the physical, mental and emotional over-stimulation we experience as capitalism gets us working harder and bombards us with encouragement to consume more. As the nuclear family fragments, and touch is sexualized in society, we need an institutional way to be in contact with other people on a physical level which is not conditional on our attractiveness. Massage humbly tries to fill a gap, and nowadays a massage session will be 80% manipulation, wheras originally the 19th century "Swedish Massage" consultation would be much more like a physiotherapy consultation - 20% manipulation and mostly testing, stretching and advice on exercise. A Confusion of names for MassageMassage Therapy is a patchwork quilt of remedies. You have heard of Swedish Massage. So how is Sports Massage different? And what about Deep Tissue Massage? Or Remedial Massage? And where does Lomi Lomi fit in? Thai Yoga Massage? Shiatsu? Tantra even! As mentioned in the article last month, massage is poorly paid, and practitioners are constantly reinventing their marketing to attract a new market. As a result, sometimes the names represent a triumph of marketing over substance. Every massage practitioner has different sets of skills, based on initial training and subsequent experience. It is a very personal thing, and if you don't get on with one masseur, don't discount everyone else that was taught at that school, or even at that class. However, the way massage is taught in the different schools may shape the perspective of masseurs through their careers - especially if they have not kept their skills honed with Continuous Professional Development (and many just do what they were taught in school many years ago, again and again). Different Types of Massage in the UKAn established discipline in the UK, "Remedial Massage", was taught in schools with an old fashioned outlook, and until recently taught skills like helping women recovering from a lifetime of corsets. Some stronger techniques marketed as "Deep Tissue Massage", to attract people looking for intense manipulation. However, practitioners used the skills taught as "Remedial Massage" to market "Sports Massage", which evolved from it in the 1990s. To help maintain physical health and improve athletic performance, Sports Masseurs include techniques developed by osteopaths like Leon Chaitow and physios like David Norris. Late 20th century counter-culture movements have borrowed and reinvented oriental disciplines from Thai Yoga Massage to Shiatsu for a modern western lifestyle - looking for other traditions in a sometimes romantic attempt to combat capitalist alienation.. Erotic Massage is an old established practice publicly distanced by other forms of bodywork, but some erotic masseurs also borrow and reinvent oriental disciplines like Tantra. Sometimes cynically, but sometimes with good intent. All in all these different types of massage in the UK can be confusing for people just wanting therapeutic touch, and a triumph of marketing over substance sometimes. Industrial InjuriesThe modern demand for intensive therapeutic touch makes tremendous physical demands on massage practitioners. There is a lot more repetition of intensive physical movements. A working day for a massage therapist trained in traditional Swedish Massage techniques has been described as "as much strain on the arms as touch-typing while doing a handstand". The old techniques taught in schools are not adequate for modern demands. As a result, there is a high price for practitioners - in a recent survey 80% of UK massage therapists had "moderate" or "severe" overuse injury - precisely the most common condition they treat with their clients - and the consequently the average career for a masseur is only 2 years. No wonder people don't expect great skill or diagnostic abilities from a masseur - they are usually just fresh from their training! A vicious circle develops - people do not expect great skill, and so are not prepared to pay high fees. Most massage therapists earn well below average income. If they don't leave the profession because of injury, they leave because the income is not sufficient. A way forwardThe industry is eager to improve, and is ambitious for recognition, and a name changes from "massage therapy" to "bodywork" is not just another cosmetic makeover!
At Bodyworkerslondon we support these initiatives - our therapists are trained in safe techniques and our professional associations are affiliated with the General Council for Massage. A sea of AcronymsSo how do you choose your therapist at the moment? On looks? On a nice telephone manner? Good publicity? Most people don't bother to ask their therapist about qualifications and experience before booking a session. This is not necessarily illogical - most people have no idea of the meaning of all the different letters after a therapists name. Some training schools have more credibility than others, and the meaning of these letters can be the starting point for selecting your therapist.. In the next issue we will look at the different massage qualifications, and some things to check before booking a session with a therapist.
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