Massage Collage

I have a reference library in my office, and there isn’t a day goes by that I don’t pull at least one book off the shelf in search of information.  The Internet is nice, of course, but I love books, and just the feel of one in hand somehow feels more substantial to me than clicking the mouse.

The massage school I attended had a nice bookstore and whenever I had extra money, I would spend it on books.  I’m still expanding my massage library a decade later, so I want to recommend a few that I consider to be essential to a massage practice:

A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology, by Ruth Werner, is now in its 4th edition (LWW, 2008).  I’ve got the first one and the new one.  Ruth’s book is filled with great pictures of the pathological conditions we’re apt to see on people, especially skin conditions.  This book has been the tipping factor many times when I was deciding whether or not it was okay to work on someone or whether I needed to mention something to them I’ve seen on their body.

Drug Handbook for Massage Therapists by Jean Wible (LWW, 2008) is another one that’s invaluable.  Pharmacology wasn’t even mentioned when I went to massage school.  In my big collection of massage school catalogs, I don’t see any mention of it in the curriculums of other schools, either.  This is an overlooked area that’s very important.  Sometimes a client may have a condition that is not a contraindication in itself, but the drug they are taking for it may be.  Our intake form asks people to list their medications, and the first therapist to see them in our office will write on the inside of their folder if there is a contraindication due to medication.  It’s a good practice.

Healing Ancient Wounds: The Renegade’s Wisdom, by my fellow blogger John Barnes, is the definitive book on Myofascial Release.  I still have my old copy I bought when I was a student.  I’m sure it’s been through numerous printings since then.  It’s available on John’s website at www.myofascialrelease.com

Muscles: Testing and Function (Kendall, McCreary et al, 5th ed, LWW, 2005) is the ultimate guide to assessing posture, correcting faults and imbalances, and lengthening shortened muscles.  This book is a classic.  I still have my first edition, and teach a class in structural realignment based on this book. The illustrations and tables are great.

Pain Erasure by Bonnie Prudden is another one I’ve had since massage school.  It’s like a cookbook for massage–assess the condition, and look up the recipe to treat it.  It’s available from www.bonnieprudden.com

There are many more that I’ll mention in future posts, but for a therapist just starting out, these are a great foundation to start building your library.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

Posted on May 1st, 2008 by Laura Allen
Filed under: General