Massage Press

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine provides many fact sheets — short introductions and facts-at-a-glance — on CAM treatments.

This one, Ayurvedic Medicine: An Introduction, was recently updated:

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/ayurveda/?nav=rss

Ayurvedic medicine (also called Ayurveda) is one of the world’s oldest medical systems. It originated in India and has evolved there over thousands of years. In the United States, Ayurvedic medicine is considered complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)—more specifically, a CAM whole medical system. Many therapies used in Ayurvedic medicine are also used on their own as CAM—for example, herbs, massage, and specialized diets. This fact sheet provides a general overview of Ayurvedic medicine and suggests sources for additional information.

This exhibit has been traveling the country (and the world), and I have been wanting to see it for months! I’ve developed an interest in anatomy and physiology (A&P to you students) not only through my work at MASSAGE Magazine, but also through my husband, who teaches A&P and biology at a local university.

So far, I’ve only seen the videos on the official site, http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/.

How does seeing the interior of the body in 3-D affect the way you perform massage? When you study A&P, what surprises you most — the muscles, the skeleton, the organs, or the functions? Do you feel your skills and abilities are improved with this visual knowledge?

Whenever I want to learn how to do something, the first place I go is the World Wide Web. Over the last decade, I have found the information I needed online to make sushi, successfully negotiate with car dealers, tame a cranky toddler, and more.

These things seem pretty simple compared to starting your own business, but if I were doing that, I’d still consult the Internet.

If you are planning to go into private practice (or are in practice already), you should know about all the free resources and information available online just for you. At www.futureLMT.com, we compile the best Web links we can find to support your practice and provide business advice. Each issue of futureLMT.com includes an Online Resources section with sites related to the issue’s theme (goals, finances, interviews, marketing, business setup, or building clientele).

Besides futureLMT.com and MASSAGEmag.com, two of the best online resources for you are the U.S. Small Business Association’s site, www.sba.gov, and Business Owner’s Toolkit, http://www.toolkit.com/. Both of these sites offer articles, forms, and calculators — related to all aspects of starting and running a small business.

How often do you use the Internet? What are your favorite sites? If you know of some resources for massage therapists that we’ve missed, please post a comment and let us know!

In the current (October 2007) issue of MASSAGE, we have an article about the importance of sleep. It describes the health concerns associated with lack of sleep and gives pointers on getting a good, quality night’s sleep. Naturally, this would be important for a busy massage therapist. (See “Sweet Slumber: How High-quality Sleep Enables You to Lead a High-Quality Life.”)

But what about massage therapy students?

Well, USA Today recently ran a story entitled “College students’ performance suffers from lack of sleep.” Sounds like a no-brainer, right? But did you know that those all-nighters can actually lower your GPA? How is that possible when you get an A on your anatomy test after cramming into the wee hours the night before?

I think the key is in the sentence about basketball players whose performance improved “over a period in which they slept at least 10 hours a night.” Over a period.

Your grades may benefit from all-nighters in the short term, but this is not a sustainable lifestyle.

What is your opinion? What have your experiences been like? How many hours of sleep do you need to perform well? Post a comment!