January/February 2003, Issue 101

On the Cover
Australian Aboriginal Massage
by Robert Noah Calvert

Most of what has been written about the ancient Aboriginal peoples of Australia has been by white settlers who never lived among the native peoples of Australia. And when it comes to anything written about Aboriginal massage practices, the information is scant and inaccurate. To learn about the role of massage in traditional Aboriginal life, we went to the source.

Massage Magazine Roundtable
A House Divided: The Medical vs. Relaxation Massage Debate, Part Two
by Charlotte Michael Versagi

The last decade has seen immense growth in the use of massage therapy in medical settings. From oncology units to delivery rooms, outpatient clinics to hospital patient-services programs, massage is increasingly being utilized to help people with medical conditions, and is viewed by physicians and nurses as something that helps patients relax and recover. A recent Internet search brought up dozens of listings under "medical massage," from individual therapists to massage clinics to schools. In addition, a growing number of massage therapists in private practice receive referrals from physicians and other medical doctors.

With this marriage of massage and the medical realm has come increased use of the term "medical massage." But what exactly does that term mean? Currently there is not clear-cut answer, and a debate within the massage field is beginning to be played out regarding the use of the term medical massage and the training that might reflect mastery in that area. Much like the feuding families in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, so have two groups in the massage field begun to voice opposition to each other's viewpoints.

In This Issue

Hands Across the Globe
Too many children, too few hands. It's a problem that plagues orphanages and children's hospitals throughout the Eastern European countries of Romania and Moldova. For massage therapists, the shortage signifies a need with far-reaching implications. And so some 6,000 miles from their Pacific Northwest homes, a legion of these dedicated therapists pay their own way and volunteer their time to administer the medicine they trust the most: touch.

As part of Northwest Medical Teams International (NWMTI), a nonprofit, Christian humanitarian aide organization based in Portland, Oregon, massage therapists join teams of doctors, dentists, physical therapists and child-development specialists to help children burdened by physical handicap, neglect and poverty.

It's a healing mission of global proportion.

Body Wisdom, Part One
An Interview Between Tom Myers and Dean Juhan
A handful of innovators have emerged as leaders in the somatics field, for their contributions to body-based therapies, and for their insights into the self-healing capacity of the human organism. Over the next two issues, we will feature a conversation between two of these legends, Thomas Myers and Deane Juhan.

Delving Into Structure
Finding the Intraosseous Line Forces of Mechanical Link
The goal of Mechanical Link is highly logical: locate and reduce the primary structural restrictions within each body system that cause and maintain tension throughout the rest of the body. When the dominant lesion is discovered and eliminated, the other lesions self-correct down the line to allow the body to readjust itself and adapt to newly regulated systems.

SpaTalk
Pampering vs. Therapy: It's All Good!
by Diane Trieste

Read the Full Article

Research Matters
by Janet Kahn, Ph.D.
An examination of studies involving massage and low-back pain.

Massage Reduces Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

Spa Therapies Improve Chronic Back Pain

Tai Chi Benefits ADHD

Pages from History: Trade Tools, Part One
by Robert Noah Calvert

The use of tools - other than one's hands, feet, or other body parts - applied to the human body in conjunction with or to supplement massage is an ancient practice. The oldest massage tool yet to be discovered is... Read the Full Article

Body & Spa: Traditional Thai Herbal Compresses
by C. Pierce Salguero

Hot herbal compresses are frequently used in Thailand in conjunction with traditional massage. Hot compresses are used to address chronic problems, such as back pain and tendinitis, as well as to increase energy flow, improve circulation, relax muscles and stimulated nerves. Read the Full Article