Introduction to Arthossage

Course overview

According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five adult Americans suffers from arthritis. It is, in fact, the most common type of disability. There are specific manual therapies that are known to be able to address pain and stiffness and yet very few massage therapists have the skill and credentials to treat it. Arthrossage is different from the more traditional Swedish or Deep Tissue massage. This is a clothing-on treatment that focuses on increasing flexibility, lubricating joints and lengthening muscles. This type of treatment can be used in conjunction with a sports massage and may even be considered a helpful tool for arthritis prevention. As a massage professional, this is a great service to provide and a great treatment for your clients to receive. In this two-day continuing education course you will learn about various forms of rheumatic disease and medical massage procedures for arthritis intervention and treatment. During this class, the massage professional will: Learn to differentiate between various forms of rheumatic disease including Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Fibromyalgia and Gout. Students will be introduced to the autoimmune disease process. Discuss symptoms, theories of causes, contraindications for touch therapies, treatment protocols, rational diet considerations and exercise movement options. Learn to take an appropriate Intake/History outline. Gain an understanding and be able to appropriately apply myofascial release techniques, trigger point work and other manual therapies. View various hands-on demonstrations of manual medical massage protocols that are appropriate for clients/patients with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions. You will receive specific instructions for body mechanics and hand placements. Students will then engage in a hands-on exchange with other students where they will have the opportunity to give and receive treatments, ask questions and provide feedback. Students will have the opportunity to review and clarify items covered during a Question and Answer Session. By the end of this course, the massage practitioner will be adept at speaking about and working with arthritic conditions and be able to perform a full-body arthossage massage on a client/patient with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions.