Most massage therapists in practice today readily acknowledge that if they received any breast massage education at all when they were in training, they did not receive enough.

Breast health care is vitally important to women, yet most do not know how to find practitioners who will support their breast tissue health. Massage therapists can provide effective treatment of a number of the breast complaints that women have, including post-surgical and scar work, easing of discomforts of pregnancy and breastfeeding, treatment of congestion and edema, and alleviation of many of the causes of breast pain. Massage therapists can also play a role in supporting our clients' regular breast monitoring practices.

While most massage practitioners believe in the therapeutic value of breast massage, most do not have confidence in their skills in relation to this sensitive area of treatment. This groundbreaking book provides the knowledge and understanding that massage therapists need to be able to offer breast massage when appropriate, as part of the fundamental set of health care services we provide for those who choose massage therapy.

About the Author

Debra Curties has been a massage therapist since 1984, and has been teaching Pathology and Clinical Theory to massage therapy students since 1987. She is the Executive Director and one of the owners of Sutherland-Chan School in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her love of teaching and of the massage therapy profession have merged in many of the roles she has assumed in the past 15 years, including President of the American Massage Therapy Association's Council of Schools, founding member of the Canadian Massage Therapy Alliance and the Canadian Council of Massage Therapy Schools, Trustee of the Massage Therapy Foundation and contributor to the Ontario Core Curriculum and the Ontario College of Massage Therapists' Standards of Practice. She is the 1998 recipient of the Ontario Massage Therapist Association's Meritorious Service Award and the 2000 recipient of the AMTA Council of Schools Meritorious Service Award.

Most complementary health care practitioners recognize the potential of scientific research to enhance the effectiveness of clinical care, but often have limited education in research literacy. This book is written for complementary and integrative health care practitioners at every level, especially those without a prior science background. It is used as an introductory textbook in many integrative health care training programs in North America. Making Sense of Research contains an explanation of the scientific method and the research process, step-by-step directions for locating research articles, and standards for classifying and evaluating both quantitative and qualitative studies. This new edition includes a chapter on understanding basic statistical concepts, a chapter on designing and conducting case reports, and an expanded chapter on evaluating qualitative research. An excellent resource for students, educators, and clinicians, Making Sense of Research is a foundation text for anyone interested in evidence-based practice.

About the Author

Martha Brown Menard Ph.D., C.M.T., is a massage therapist, research scientist, author and educator. Much of her clinical work over 25 years has focused on oncology massage, pain management, and massage for trauma survivors; these are her areas of research interest as well. She has served on the faculty of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and is a member of the editorial boards for the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and the Massage Therapy Journal. In 2008, she started a consulting firm, Sigma Applied Research, specializing in research design, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, grant-writing, and program evaluation. Clients she has worked with include schools and universities, nonprofit organizations, and government. Dr. Menard lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Massage therapists have not traditionally been included in the group of health care practitioners expected to know about medications. The fact is, however, that massage practitioners often work with clients who are concurrently taking medications. It is also true that massage therapists are increasingly being asked to treat people who are quite ill and physically vulnerable. Whether the practitioner's practice is focused on relaxation work, rehabilitating athletic injuries, spa treatments, or any of the other types of therapies in which massage therapists are now trained, when a client is taking medications the treatment plan may need to be significantly modified and the therapist must be aware of potential new factors in the clinical presentation.

Massage Therapy & Medications is a groundbreaking text for massage students and practicing therapists alike. Written by a professional who has trained in both disciplines, this manual provides the basic pharmacology data a massage therapist needs. It includes information about common uses and effects of drugs, implications of how medications are administered, and client safety guidelines to incorporate into everyday practice.

About the Author

Randal (Randy) Persad graduated as a pharmacist from the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago campus, in 1986. He worked as a pharmacist and as a medical representative for a leading pharmaceutical company. When he moved to Canada a few years later, Randy encountered jurisdictional controls in pharmacy and decided instead to pursue his life-long interest in massage. He returned to school and completed the 2-year program at the Sutherland-Chan School & Teaching Clinic in Toronto. He became a registered massage therapist in 1991, and over the next few years built a private practice and worked at Sutherland-Chan as a teaching assistant and clinic supervisor. In 1996 Randy relocated to British Columbia. At that time B.C.'s massage therapy program was expanding to 3 years (3000 hours), and Randy was asked to help develop the province's new Massage and Medications curriculum requirement. He also created an accredited continuing education workshop on the same topic for practicing therapists. Currently, Randy directs the Registered Massage Therapy program at Utopia Academy in Vancouver. His company, Persad & Associates, provides continuing education workshops for massage therapists and educational consulting for massage programs.

As consumers increasingly choose to blend their use of medical and complementary modalities, practitioners in all health fields are challenged to understand each other's approaches to patient care. The physician who cannot provide knowledgeable advice about concurrent use of practices like massage therapy risks being out of touch with the benefits they can provide as well as the health considerations for different patient populations. Massage therapists need an evidence-based understanding of their work and a shared language in order to engage in meaningful dialogues with medical doctors with whom they share patients. A Physician's Guide to Therapeutic Massage integrates what is known about massage therapy effects and indications and summarizes this information in an accessible format for quick reference.

About the Author

Dr. John Yates received his Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba in 1976. He developed a strong interest in complementary healthcare education and research during a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine, following which he joined the Department of Health Care and Epidemiology at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Yates became involved with the West Coast College of Massage Therapy prior to its opening in 1983, and served as is Academic Education Director until 1997. He was also the founding President of the Physical Medicine Research Foundation (PMRF), serving from 1985 to 1990. He has served as Research Director for the Massage Therapists' Association of BC, as a member of the National Leadership Forum of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, and on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Soft Tissue Manipulation, and was instrumental in developing the curriculum standard for massage therapy in British Columbia. Dr. Yates is currently living in Arizona where he provides consulting services to accreditation, licensing and certification organizations, professional associations, and colleges of massage therapy throughout North America.

Treatments using applications of heat and cold have been around for millennia, but there are few introductory level textbooks that the manual therapist can trust to provide accurate, current information about their use. An Introduction to Heat & Cold as Therapy begins with an explanation of the physiological effects of hot, cold and contrast treatments and the rationales for their usage as therapeutic modalities. It then provides general treatment guidelines, as well as a discussion of contraindications and cautions related to temperature therapy treatment planning. The remainder of the book is dedicated to presenting detailed, fully illustrated descriptions of how to make available a large number of temperature treatments in clinical practice and as home care recommendations. An Introduction to Heat & Cold as Therapy meets the needs of students and practitioners alike.

About the Author

Laurel Fowlie graduated in 1992 from the University of Waterloo with a B.A. in Social Development. She worked with adults with physical disabilities for ten years; during this time she also trained in reflexology and aromatherapy. Laurel decided to study massage therapy and entered the Alexandrian Institute in 1998, receiving her diploma and Ontario certification in 1999. She then moved to Fredericton, New Brunswick, where she worked in a variety of clinical settings. In 2002, Laurel was hired to work for a year on the Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liner as a hydrotherapist/massage therapist, reflexologist, and spa supervisor.

In 2003, Laurel completed her teaching certificate and M.Ed. in adult education at the University of New Brunswick (UNB), as well as a diploma in university teaching. In addition to being a teaching assistant and sessional instructor at UNB, Laurel has taught at New Brunswick Community College (NBCC). She taught Hydrotherapy at the KinéConcept Institute, and has presented numerous seminars on reflexology, aromatherapy, and other health-related topics. Laurel currently works at Kikkawa College in Toronto.

Nerve Mobilization for Neck, Arm and Hands

Learn how to use the length, elasticity and irritability of the nerves to guide assessment and treatment of common conditions such as thoracic outlet, carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel syndromes. This DVD teaches advanced nerve tension tests that show the therapist how to precisely assess the median, ulnar and radial nerves to determine where they are impinged. Treatment approaches include muscle and myofascial release techniques, fluid (lymphatic) techniques and nerve gliding and stretching designed to free restrictions along the path of a nerve and normalize tissue function.

Nerve Mobilization for Back, Pelvis and Legs

Focused on assessment and treatment of conditions such as discal-generated neural syndromes, piriformis syndrome and tarsal tunnel syndrome, this DVD covers assessment tests for the sciatic, tibial, common peroneal and sural nerves to determine where they are compressed or irritated. Treatment techniques from the upper limb are adapted to the structures of the back, pelvis and legs, and self-care exercises are included for clients to do at home to help support their recovery.

Nurturing Touch for Birth

This unique DVD features four labors and births (two at home and two in hospital) demonstrating the use of supportive touch. Nurturing touch is integrated during deliveries in varying positions and environments. This DVD is equally effective for use by childbirth educators, for sharing by pregnant women with their companions, or as a self-education resource for bodywork practitioners.

Touch Techniques for Birth

This DVD covers the benefits of supportive touch during labor and childbirth. Part 1 includes: information about the benefits of touch, self-care for the birth companion, the importance of establishing communication with the laboring woman and the establishment of a safe environment. Part 2 focuses on: specific techniques to address different parts of the body and common complaints, including slow labor, exhaustion, back pain and anxiety.

Mastering Pregnancy Massage

This comprehensive DVD provides detailed instruction in all aspects of pregnancy massage including: benefits and safety factors, client intake and physician referral, draping and positioning modifications, bodywork technique adaptations and common discomforts and complaints of pregnant women. Mastering Pregnancy Massage is clearly filmed and enhanced with computer graphics. Client intake and referral forms are included on the disk.

This comprehensive DVD provides detailed instruction in all aspects of pregnancy massage including:
●   Benefits and safety factors ●   Client intake and physician referral ●   Draping and positioning modifications ●   Bodywork technique adaptations ●   Common discomforts and complaints of pregnant women
Mastering Pregnancy Massage is clearly filmed and enhanced with computer graphics. Client intake and referral forms are included on the disk.

A hands-on guide to locating muscles, bones and more. This acclaimed book delivers beautifully illustrated information for learning the muscular and skeletal systems.It makes learning the essential manual therapy skills interesting, memorable and easy

This fourth edition has added sections on the muscles of fascial expression and of the pelvic floor. The illustrations are full-colour for the first time and there are new illustrations showing practitioners how to position their clients and themselves to access specific body parts. There are also new information capsules about when muscles are frequently used (or overused) in daily life.

Most complementary health care practitioners recognize the potential of scientific research to enhance the effectiveness of clinical care, but often have limited education in research literacy. This book is written for complementary and integrative health care practitioners at every level, especially those without a prior science background. It is used as an introductory textbook in many integrative health care training programs in North America. Making Sense of Research contains an explanation of the scientific method and the research process, step-by-step directions for locating research articles, and standards for classifying and evaluating both quantitative and qualitative studies. This new edition includes a chapter on understanding basic statistical concepts, a chapter on designing and conducting case reports, and an expanded chapter on evaluating qualitative research. An excellent resource for students, educators, and clinicians, Making Sense of Research is a foundation text for anyone interested in evidence-based practice.

About the Author

Martha Brown Menard Ph.D., C.M.T., is a massage therapist, research scientist, author and educator. Much of her clinical work over 25 years has focused on oncology massage, pain management, and massage for trauma survivors; these are her areas of research interest as well. She has served on the faculty of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and is a member of the editorial boards for the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and the Massage Therapy Journal. In 2008, she started a consulting firm, Sigma Applied Research, specializing in research design, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, grant-writing, and program evaluation. Clients she has worked with include schools and universities, nonprofit organizations, and government. Dr. Menard lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

In this volume, the viscera of the abdominal, pelvic and thoracic spaces are featured in detail, and the story of viscera-fascial relationships continues from where the third volume ends. There are illustrations of normal dynamics and also of how these connections can be altered by post-surgical adherences.