Students often think the more a client is ailing, the more massage "stuff" we should do. For example, my students sometimes complain about the hospice portion of their clinical experience. They feel they didn't learn anything there because they couldn't do anything except gently rub a patient's feet or hands. This is because the students are focused on doing massage instead of giving massage. Doing is just that---performing, applying methods, practicing methods and so on. There is a huge difference between doing massage and giving massage.
As massage therapists we need to determine what is going to benefit the client that day and give them that---not just perform all the techniques we can think of. I tell my advanced-level students that just because you know a method does not mean you should always use it. For example, the psoas release is something my students can't wait to learn how to do. They think that a psoas release is the answer to everything. There is nothing special about the psoas muscle, other than the fact that it is hard to get to. I smile after I teach them the method because I know for weeks everyone will have some situation that requires a psoas release. The reality is that although the students desperately want to practice it, not every client needs it.
Most of my own massage application consists of gliding, kneading and rhythmic movement of joints. I lovingly call it the big squash massage. I season each session with some of the more specific stuff - but just a little, not a lot. I don't need to prove how good I am by doing lots of stuff. I have learned that more and fancy is not better.
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