Connective Tissue Massage

DESCRIPTION This is the first English translation of the 15th edition of a German textbook published in 2009 about connective tissue massage (CTM) concepts and techniques used to treat patients with various ailments. PURPOSE This book is designed to teach students of physical therapy and massage therapy, as well as physicians, the theories and techniques of CTM. AUDIENCE The author notes that this book is not for physical therapists seeking to augment their established massage treatment techniques with new simple ones because each CTM treatment must start with a basic sequence of strokes before it progresses to the more specific techniques used to treat a particular condition and therefore is not effective if used individually. As such, one cannot perform an individual CTM massage sequence and expect to have an effective treatment. FEATURES The book provides in depth explanations of how Elisabeth Dicke developed the technique and a general overview of the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system and connective tissue. The book explains the neuroanatomical and neurophysiological effects of CTM that contribute to its therapeutic effects. In addition to describing how to perform the massage strokes and the basic stroke sequence used for all treatments, the book includes instructions on how to perform a CTM evaluation using palpation throughout the connective tissue zones to direct a treatment plan. Chapters describe CTM treatment for an array of orthopedic, neurological, internal medicine, as well as gynecological and obstetric disorders. Each chapter defines a medical diagnosis and notes medical contraindications and precautions for CTM treatment. In addition, the book describes what a CTM practitioner will find when examining a patient with specific conditions in terms of tension within the connective tissue zones. It also provides a CTM treatment plan for each described medical condition, explaining specific strokes and sequences as well as the duration and frequency appropriate to treat the average patient. ASSESSMENT This is an instructive book for medical professionals interested in learning this treatment. Adding an online video would greatly enhance the presentation by enabling readers to get a more thorough understanding of how to perform the specific massage strokes and the individual treatment sequences. Overall, the book is quite comprehensive and provides detailed CTM treatment plans for many medical ailments. RATING: ★★★ Reviewed by: Jennifer Hoffman, PT, DPT, OCS (MedStar NRH)