December 2015 - Institute of Somatic Therapy

Fertility Massage Benefits - by admin@mcb on December 30 2015

Fertility Massage Benefits

Fertility massage has been the subject of several different scientific studies. Several months ago we posted a blog about some of the research which supports massage and bodywork techniques specifically targeted toward infertility. (You can see that post here.) There are many ways in which massage can help a woman become healthier and aid in her goal to become pregnant.

Reproductive Organs:

By improving circulation to the reproductive organs, massage brings fresh oxygenated blood and nutrients to the ovaries and uterus. By helping to loosen scar tissue and clear blockages to the Fallopian tubes, the egg and sperm will have a clearer pathway in which to unite and implant into the uterus.

Digestive System:

Fertility massage can bring relaxation to abdominal organs that have become hardened from stress or digestive issues. Massage can help the large intestine move impacted feces. The small intestine will benefit from improving digestive health and nutrient absorption. By helping to process toxins from the body, fertility massage can also promote a healthy liver.

Endocrine System:

Fertility massage can help achieve hormonal balance and help to relieve cramps.

Contraindications:

There are times when a woman should not receive fertility massage. These include the presence of any condition which would contraindicate massage in general. Fertility massage should not be performed during menstruation or at any time the client is pregnant or suspects she may be pregnant. If she is currently trying to conceive, it is best to perform fertility massage only after the end of the menstrual cycle and leading up to ovulation. Post-ovulation, in case a pregnancy has occurred, it is best not to take a chance that deep tissue work over the uterus could possibly dislodge or otherwise negatively affect the newly forming placenta or embryo. Women who are not currently trying to conceive can receive massage any time other than during their monthly menstrual cycle.

Becoming Certified

If you have ever considered learning fertility massage, now is an excellent time. For the next month, Institute of Somatic Therapy is offering a special 10% off coupon special. Between today and January 31, 2016, use coupon code BABY to receive 10% off of our fertility certification course. Click here to enroll.

(Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Massage Therapy Ethics – Communication and Body Language - by admin@mcb on December 15 2015

Massage Therapy Ethics – Communication and Body Language

Many states and national board require massage therapy ethics continuing education courses for their license or certification renewal process. The Institute of Somatic Therapy offers a number of massage therapy ethics courses. One of our most popular is our course titled “Ethics – Communication”.

A big part of running an ethical massage practice is being proficient in communication. Communication is a lot more in-depth than simply talking and responding. Much can be known about a conversation simply by observing body language.

Body Language

Some of the things you can watch for are how near someone is standing to you (how intimate they want to be), or motions like head tilts (to indicate softness or openness, or it could indicate confusion). Eye contact is another valuable source of information. The eyes can be an indicator of levels of interest, levels of trust, and levels of self-confidence. Eyebrows can show interest, joy, curiosity, or skepticism.

Arms are an important part of the body to read. Crossed arms can indicate defensiveness. Nervous gestures can mean flirtatiousness (such as women playing with their hair), while gestures such as adjusting eyeglasses can be a signal they are listening critically, as if they are examining you more closely. Knees, feet, and toes are cues, since they are usually pointed in the direction of their true focus. As such, pointed in your direction is a positive sign of interest, while feet toward the exit is a sign they want to get out of the conversation as soon as possible.

Using Your Body to Enhance Your Mood

Your body language also has an impact on your mind. There is a very simple way to change your mood and confidence level through your body language. As an added benefit, your increased mood and confidence will change the way that other people view you. Scientific research has discovered that assuming a “high power pose” for two minutes will increase rates of testosterone and decrease rates of cortisol. These two chemical changes in your body help you feel more confident and less stressed. The opposite results were shown in test subject who assumed a “low power pose”. Examples of high power poses are arms thrust in the air in a victory gesture, or standing with hands on hips and elbows out to side, with the feet hip width or greater apart. Lower power poses were ones in which the body is drawn in, making yourself small. In those test subjects, testosterone decreased and their cortisol increased.

Massage Therapy Ethics Courses

There are many different aspects to communication, both on the speaking and on the listening side of the equation. For online massage therapy ethics courses in communication and listening, visit the following links:

Ethics – Communication (3 CEs)
Ethics – Listening (2 CEs)

Complete list of all of our massage therapy ethics courses

Massage Doula Impact on Traumatic Birth - by admin@mcb on December 01 2015

Massage Doula Impact on Traumatic Birth

Approximately 1 woman out of every 4 considers that her labor and delivery experience was a traumatic birth. With 4 million births in the US per year, that is one million women per year who experience traumatic births. (Source: Prevention and Treatment of Traumatic Childbirth (PATTCh.org) By having a massage doula with her during birth, a pregnant woman can increase her odds of not being part of these statistics.

Feelings of a traumatic birth tend to occur if the mother feels that she or her baby were in some type of danger during the labor process. These feelings can also occur if the woman feels that she was out of control and helpless during the labor. Having a massage doula helps to reduce both of those, due to the loving presence of a birth support provider.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not outside the range of possibility if the traumatic birth experience is not dealt with. As a massage doula, you should know the signs of birth PTSD. The signs are: nightmares, dwelling on the birth, avoidance behaviors, and reluctance to talk about the birth. Other signs are avoiding postpartum obstetric appointments, blame or negative feelings toward people who were part of the birth, anger, and sleep disorders. If these signs are present for more than a month after the birth, the mother likely has some degree of birth PTSD.

During labor support, if a massage doula believes that her client’s birth expectations are not being met, she needs to try to focus her client on getting through the moment and help her deal with the trauma as it happens, to help prevent long term negative consequences. After the birth, encourage her to get plenty of sleep, exercise, use some type of relaxation method (massage, yoga, etc), or seek counseling. You can also refer them to http://pattch.org/resource-guide.

To become trained as a massage doula, click here: Massage Doula Certification

To find a certified massage doula in your area, click here: www.massagedoula.com

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Tagged With : continuing education for massage therapy , health benefits of massage therapy , massage doula , online courses for massage therapy , pregnancy massage , traumatic birth ,