Visual Guides to Massage Techniques

massage-techniques-visual-guidesAre you new to studying massage therapy or considering it? Even if you're a graduate of a massage program or a practicing therapist, visual guides to massage techniques offer an excellent resource for anyone immersed in the field. Find out how.

How do visual guides help?

Visual guides to massage techniques can be an excellent supplemental study resource for the beginning massage therapy student. New graduates of massage therapy school can also benefit from these guides by using them as a reference to prepare for the Massage and Anatomy and Physiology portions of the National Certification Exam.

Practicing massage therapists — those who are new in the business or established providers — can use the guides to learn new massage techniques that can then be incorporated into client massage sessions.

What formats are available?

Visual massage technique guides come in various formats, typically as a book or video, although books sold with a companion video are also available. Electronic versions of some books are also an option. In book or video sets, visual guides serve as comprehensive references for various massage techniques.

Books featuring visual massage techniques are usually a compendium of instructional head-to-toe, how-to massage techniques combined with a visual guide that features photography and anatomical drawings to help explain the essentials.

What can be found inside? 

Visual guides examine the main muscles of the body, discuss various massage techniques and show how to apply pressure during a massage. The guides usually also include a comprehensive list of common maladies and massage solutions and treatments. Detailed photographs help illustrate the step-by-step instructions.

Many visual massage technique books on the market cover introductory massage instruction and practice. These introductory resources usually cover the fundamentals of therapeutic massage.

However, other available massage technique guidebooks are geared towards advanced massage students or massage therapists who already have basic training and are interested in learning more about various massage techniques and expanding their skills. Advanced topics may include strategies for specific injuries or massage techniques to assess patterns of strain in the body.

Can visual guides supplement massage course work? 

Video visual massage guides feature step-by-step instructions and serve as home study courses to supplement classroom learning. These sets usually offer close-up, hands-on demonstrations with instructions on massage movements and techniques, and feature a range of massage routines to learn.

DVD or video visual massage technique guides make an easy-to-follow reference, especially for the beginning massage therapy student. These references can be reviewed over and over again.

Beginning students of massage will benefit especially from the skilled and knowledgeable instructors demonstrating massage techniques on video. These demonstrations often move at a comfortable pace that allow a student to follow along. The sets have the added benefit of building on each other in a sequence.

Video versions of visual guides incorporate anatomy review with demonstrations of applied techniques, which allow the viewer to observe subtle moves that visual massage technique books cannot communicate as well.

Read the Acupuncture & Massage College's free guide on how to embark on an exciting career in the growing field of massage therapy. For information about AMC’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs you can email our admissions department.


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