Any practice "throat massage"?

[kpob53]

I recently had a discussion with another MT on this site about massaging the throat tissue. I have never massaged the throat due to the vulnerability of that area and creating anxiety in the client with a choking feeling. However, she claims it can be a powerful adjunct to a neck massage.

Now I am really curious. It makes sense to me that it could be valuable in certain cases but I am clueless as to what to do and when it is appropriate and when it is not.

Can anyone shed some light for me? In particular website or other sources with photographs!

Thanks! Liz

 

[MayDay Parade (3]

I do anterior neck work. I am not sure that is what the client is talking about. But maybe. If you need to know more, let me know.

 

[April D]

I also always do the anterior neck but I believe what the poster is asking about is massaging over the area above the trachea? This stems from the posts in another thread that veered off to the subject of "throat massage?"

In basic massage we were taught never to go beyond the SCM because of the vulnerablity of the area. However, when I learned massage for TMJ issues we were taught to do nmt concentrating on the anterior neck including the muscles over and surrounding the trachea. This are very important muscles to work in order to get a better release for the client. These have to be worked very carefully, always making sure the client is comfortable and trusts you enough to allow you to do the work.

I don't have any pictures or know of any websites. I learned these techniques many, many years ago so I'm not even sure where the manual went from that class. I'm sure it's around here somewhere??????

Angie

 

[DeleraTwinkie]

Working the anterior neck muscles is pretty important as far as treatment is concerned. Without treatment of the Longus Colli and Capitus, cervical and cranial alignment is more difficult. Since the Longus Colli is considered the Little Psoa of the neck, you can understand the importance of treatment.

Actual treatment is a little more difficult. Find a practitioner or school who can show you the treatment. The reason I say that is the proximity to arteries and ganglia make it a little tricky. However, after treatment, the results can be quite satisfying.

 

[HOV Ranch]

I've been reading through my notes, and have come to the conclusion that what Jay Hillman said is right - you need to SEE the techniques and learn in a hands-on atmosphere. I just can't describe it. In the book Basic Clinical Massage Therapy: Integrating Anatomy and Treatment, there are some excellent pictures of the muscles involved, and that will help some. Muscle stripping of the longus colli - gently!! - is incredible to experience!! It does take some serious getting used to, and I certainly do not do this with many clients, but it is very effective in relieving neck pain and headaches.

 

[Wizzel]

Absolutely take an NMT class to get this. Do not try to learn it any other way than hands on. My class found the work alone, let alone learning it, very intense.

It's amazing for the throat chakra... our OMs at the end of class that day were sooo much longer than ever before.

 

[July]

Fascinating! I LOVE learning new techniques and this sounds like something I'm ready to learn. I'll check out massage schools in my area for a class. I agree, I don't want to start putting my hands around the trachea, etc. without proper training!

Thanks all of you for thoughtful and thorough responses!

Liz

 

[Stu]

The David Kent or Paul St. John videos are excellent learning tools for these techniques. I think the Kent tapes are better.

There are some precautions including to avoid the carotid artery, the possibility of vascular insufficiency (Kent demonstrates a test) and the possibility of fainting as work in this area on some people can trigger a reflex that lowers blood pressure.

That being said, the work is invaluable for clients with tmj or whiplash injuries.

 

[Caterpuff]

Any practice throat massage?

I've learned from school and then ordered a Ralph R. Stephens tape called Medical Massage for the Cervical Region. It addresses the anterior neck very specifically and does a great job of addressing the entire neck. It has helped me tremendously!

 

[mommy dreamer]

Actually..... A great way to learn how to do this, is just to practice it on yourself. Lay on your bed, get some pillows to prop your head in the right positions and do one side at a time. This way you overcome your fear of the treatment, you know exactly what the client is going through and you learn what to avoid.

The first few times I did it, I put a mirror in front of me so that I could see exactly what I was doing, after a while, it was cool to just lay back and enjoy it. Since I started doing it, most of my own neck problems have started going away very quickly and my neck doesn't "pop" nearly as often as it used to.

 

[Rubicon-Raumz]

Way back when I was in school, we were blessed to be trained in therapeutic work by instructors who themselves were professional massage therapists. Part of our curriculum was to learn a very specific technique to relieve the musculature of the throat that is precisely anterior to the spinal column. This was done by very carefully "wiggling" the trachea and carefully placing the 5th digit on the effected muscles in a light trigger point and holding till the point "dissolved".

NOT A TECHNIQUE FOR THE SQUEEMISH!!! We were all very carefully monitored as we learned this technique over a period of weeks.... it is definitely not one that I use often, except on myself, and, when I do use it on clients I tell them precisely what is going to be done, where it will be done, and how the client can indicate to me, without talking, that there is discomfort [emotional, physical, etc.] so that I can stop immediately.

I rather enjoy having my lateroanterior throat/neck worked on... I tend to carry too much stress, and too many unspoken words in those areas..... just have to have an equally skilled therapist doing the work so I don't have to think about what will be happening.... thank goodness there's a friend/therapist nearby who attended the same school and can do the same techniques that work so well for me.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Anterior neck work is very powerful and therapeutic. In many cases, such as whiplash, most of the tissue damage occurs in the anterior aspect of the neck, so knowing how to treat this area is vital. However, as with any so-called "danger areas" (as commonly taught in massage schools) education and knowledge are a pre-requisite to actually performing the work. After all, you cannot safely work on any area if you don't know exactly what you're working on. If this kind of therapy interests you I can highly recommend the training offered by St. John Neuromuscular Therapy. Visit their website at: stjohnseminars.com. NMT Course 1 is specifically what covers anterior neck work.

 

[No Way Jan]

I just want to note that St. John Seminars is now owned by HealthQuest Enterprises and does not teach the current work of Paul St. John.

Paul St. John, his instructors, staff and new seminar programs may be found at:

http://www.neurosomaticeducators.com

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A former St. John instructor, David Kent, offers an excellent video training program and manuals for anterior and posterior cervical nmt massage technique. David, of course, strongly advises attending an nmt seminar to be checked on the work by a trained instructor.

http://www.davidkent.com

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Also, Neuromuscular Therapy American Version from the NMT Center:

http://www.nmtcenter.com/

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[Stephen Jess]

I'm from Florida and have taken a couple of David Kent's classes before, so he does offer seminars. This is the link for the seminars that he offers:
http://www.davidkent.com/cddksm.shtml
Also, I would highly recommend his videos as well. They are really easy to use and I even have a friend in Omaha that learned all of his head and neck techniques from those videos. Oh well, hope that helps a little.