The Manual Guide to Massage Therapy

About the Book

A thorough study guide and reference tool for the oral practical British Columbia massage therapy board (licensing) exams. Intended for use in the student clinic in conjunction with other texts, this 540-page book, with 33 pages of color pictures of both muscles and joints, extensively covers the muscular, ligamentous, nervous, and blood vessel anatomy that relate directly to the massage therapist.

Muscle testing, applicable special tests, dermatomes, myotomes, cranial nerve testing, basic massage therapy techniques and joint mobilizations are featured. In addition you will find a brief description of over 70 conditions including the definition, etiology, signs and symptoms, contraindications, baseline, treatment techniques and goals, hydrotherapy techniques, and homecare. A special section on hormones and their respective functions is also included.

Although there is overlap between the practical and academic parts of the course, this text in no way comes close to covering the academic portion of the education.

Massage therapy students in British Columbia undergo a 3,000-hour plus program and then sit two days of board exams in order to receive their designation – registered massage therapist (RMT) – as set by the College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia (CMTBC), the regulatory body, governed by the Health Professionals Act of British Columbia. The academic side of the course is exhaustive, comprising everything from basic anatomy to the how the body works on a microscopic, biochemistry level. This knowledge is what differentiates the BC massage therapy program from most other massage therapy courses.

This guide is written with the student and professional in mind. It is an integral source of information for the student. For the professional it is a tool to help jog the memory once examinations are no longer a part of daily life.

About the Author

Joanne McNamara grew up in rural Alberta, Canada. Having experienced everything from milking cows and working in the oilfields to selling clothes, her life-long ambition to go to school to become a registered massage therapist was realized in 2003. One dream come true! Joanne’s future dreams, to name just a few, are to become a mother, a registered acupuncturist, and the owner of a French mastiff.