Very Discourged with Anatomy

[iluvemocharlybrown]

Very Discourged with Anatomy

I feel like I'm retarded, or just not smart enough.

When you get the "I'm a retard" feeling, try to reframe that feeling as "this is not a subject that comes easily to me" or "this class is not a good fit for my learning style". Don't globalize it. That kind of thing starts to leak out into other areas and makes you feel like a failure at everything. That never helps.

And please don't waste your energy being pissed at the school or trying to make a case against the teacher so you can prove to yourself it is the school's fault you are having trouble. It is likely the class does indeed suck, and the teacher is terrible. So okay, it sucks. Your teacher can't spell. Accept that and work from there. You are in a sucky class, but it is just something you've got to get through in order to graduate.

I've always been heavily in the arts and I want to be a writer but thought this would be a great way to have a steady income to support my future plans for having a family, writing, and doing art. I never was good at science, or math, or business in high school.

I'm currently teaching basic musculoskeletal anatomy for a yoga teacher training class. There is a young woman in that class who made this same complaint. "I'm into art. I am no good at math and science!" You don't need math or science skill to learn musculoskeletal anatomy. You need an ability to observe the human body and understand how it works. Approach the study of anatomy like an artist or a dancer. Don't focus on the "medical" part.

What most people think of as the "medical" part is learning the anatomical names. This is not about medicine. This is about language. If you have any knack with language, it is easy. Don't think of the names as random sets of awful syllables. If you want to remember the names, learn what the names mean - it'll help them stick. Foramen magnum = "big hole". Acetabulum = "vinegar cup". Medical terms use and reuse a fairly small set of vocabulary building blocks. (Learning the sanskrit names of yoga poses is the same way. Try to learn them syllable by syllable and you'll go mad. urdhvamuhkasvanasana. But break them down into meaningful bits and you can string them together.) It also makes it easy to give a plausible BS answer on a test that might get you half credit. (This muscle on the back of the forearm... hrm... it extends the wrist... "extensor carpalis"?) You might even get it right.

I don't have much interest in the medical field, I just wanted to work in a relaxing spa environment for my stress level. I thought helping other people relax would be perfect for me, since I can't handle a competitive fast-pace workplace.

Then the best advice I can give you is to "squirm through" the class and don't worry that you are going to forget it all. I assure you, if you aren't using it routinely in your professional practice, you will forget it. It doesn't matter! It doesn't make you a bad MT. What makes a good MT is quality of touch and an ability to work with the body.

-- Joshua

 

[isnoop]

Something else to consider:

Looking at the class from an outside perspective, do you think they actually expect students to understand and retain this material? Maybe they are just trying to meet the minimum anatomy requirement, or give you enough to have a chance at passing the national exam.

Do they talk about anatomy in any detail in the hands-on massage classes? Do they expect you to be able to use this knowledge to assess and treat specific musculoskeletal pathology? Do the MTs teaching the hands-on material have a rock solid grasp of anatomy? (If you aren't sure of that one, ask for help identifying certain muscles during your hands-on class. Ask if this tight muscle here on the shoulder is the gemelus or pectineus...)

If they don't go out of their way to show you how to apply the anatomy to actual bodywork and they seem to be breezing through things a little quickly, then it is likely that on some level they are expecting you to just cram the material and move on. (Don't feel "ripped off" by this. Remember that you didn't want to learn this stuff anyway. Be grateful you aren't in palpateit's class.)

But really - don't sweat it. Learn the locations of the bony areas and vulnerable areas you don't want to push to hard on. Get an overall appreciation for the structure of the body and the ways the joints move. Then only work hard enough to get the minimum passing grade. Focus your attention on the aspects of massage that are useful to you, and really help you give a great relaxation-focused Swedish massage. It isn't rocket science.

If you can do these things, you can be a great MT with exceedingly minimal knowledge of anatomy:
-Have a compassionate and accepting attitude towards clients, their bodies, and their experiences.
-Not get excessively caught up in the client's personal drama or pain.
-Handle the client's body with grace and confidence.
-Use good body mechanics so you don't hurt yourself.
-Act and dress professionally with clients.
-Reliably show up for your sessions, on time, and sober.
-Never give sexual services to clients, even if they tip really well and you really need the cash.

If I was looking to hire a massage therapist, all of these things would be more important to me that their knowledge of anatomy.

-- Joshua