Rebounding
had only been studying massage therapy for a few weeks when I discovered that there is a percentage of people who think massage has to hurt to work. You can really grind into me: I can take it! Some minor pain is a possibility, and even expected after injury or trauma. But usually the clients who want bruising pressure are so locked up in the restricted area concerned, that they can t feel the area the way they should be able to feel it. The result is that they think more pressure is better. Often what s called for is spending more time, and using medium or even gentle pressure. You can get very deep into the tissue by using either force, time, or motion. Waiting it out while keeping milder pressure on the site keeps the body from going into further trauma and risking further injury. Then there is the use of motion to reach the deeper tissues as well as the superficial ones.
Then there are the clients who need gentle pressure. Clients with fibromyalgia come into my practice afraid. Every massage therapist I have been to hurt me. I believe fear should never play a part in healing, unless it is the emotional release from a previous trauma. How do you treat a client who wants no pressure, even light pressure over time?
What do you do with a body that is so locked up , or one in so much pain that you can barely touch the client? In other words, what works on a variety of client needs? Enter John Barnes technique, Myofascial Rebounding.
Rebounding is one of the most nurturing and unique therapies I have ever experienced. Vibration therapies like rebounding, and others like the Trager Approach, can stretch the definition of massage and offer a whole knew world of therapy.
John Barnes Myofascial Technique has been studied and practiced with great success for several decades. (See Worldwide Spa Review, January/February 2007 Release from Chronic Pain: Myofascial Massage) Rebounding is one component of this therapy. It involves the gentle to vigorous rocking of the body. According to Barnes, Myofascial Rebounding utilizes the fluid/energy dynamics to greatly enhance (the therapist s) effectiveness in reducing pain, increasing function, and awareness. It creates, in Barnes words, a sort of tsunami of the liquid and gelatinous tissue in the body. The joints are lubricated by the body as they move, and the motion stimulates circulation of blood and lymph, but the motion is passive, as it is the therapist who makes the client move. The whole body is stimulated while in a state of relaxation. It energizes and relaxes simultaneously.
The client lies (usually clothed) on the massage table. The therapist begins by gently rocking the body from side to side. His/Her hands keep full contact with the body, never shoving or breaking contact when the body swings away. Thus far, this approach is often used by other massage therapists doing Swedish or deep tissue because the rocking identifies restrictions (tight areas) in the body and relaxes the client. The difference comes after the first few moments when the rocking becomes a bit more vigorous, although some clients with fibromyalgia, arthritis, acute injuries, etc., remain rocking at the gentle rate. As the body relaxes, the rocking increases, and by that I don t mean it is necessarily faster: It could just be a deeper roll toward the side.
I first experienced a rebounding treatment from a student of Barnes . The music was not the usual spa fare: It was fast and included a great deal of percussion, especially drumming. The rocking began gently and I felt my body let go of a lot of stress within the first few seconds. I couldn t hold on to muscle tension because I could not possibly keep up with the rocking motion. So I let go.
After a few moments, the rocking became a bit more pronounced. I began to feel more relaxed than I had in years! My body felt soft, like it did when I was a kid. I began to smile, and even giggle a bit. (Since I studied this technique, I have tried it on many clients who usually either go into a deep meditative state or laugh with childlike joy.)
Without thinking about it, I tried to rock harder. The practitioner took the hint, and while keeping his hands on my shoulder and right hip, rocked me a bit faster. More, I chanted over and over. It was wonderful! My whole body came alive: I felt so much energy! But I was so relaxed, I was positively floppy. Apparently I was rocked for fifteen minutes, although it all went by in an instant.
During the last few minutes, my practitioner slowed the rocking down gradually, leaving me in a quiet peaceful state. I could have slept for ages, but when I finally got off of the table I felt like I d burst with all of the energy I had! There wasn t pain in my body anywhere. I felt great!
I studied rebounding with Barnes, and when I got back to my practice, immediately tried it on a friend. She had just been through both physically and emotionally traumatic events, and was very depressed. She laughed hysterically, recalling being on a waterslide. This is a blast, she said. I feel so good! I have energy!
Encouraged by my experience with her, I began to use rebounding with many of my clients, and can say honestly that I have yet to find a client who didn t like it. I use it for the first ten to fifteen minutes of my Myofascial Release treatments. Several clients have asked if they could have a whole 60 minutes of rebounding.
Rebounding has worked fabulously on my clients with serious mobility issues, allowing locked up areas to increase circulation and detoxify. As for those who need a gentle touch, I have yet to find a client with fibromyalgia who has not adored the treatment. In fact, I offered a few of these clients free 15-minute treatments while developing a special rebounding with stretching routine just for them.
Rebounding is one of the most nurturing and unique therapies I have ever experienced. Vibration therapies like rebounding, and others like the Trager Approach, can stretch the definition of massage and offer a whole knew world of therapy.
To find a Myofascial Release practitioner, check your local phone book, ask at a local spa, or visit the MFR web site directory. For more information on Myofascial Release visit the MFR web site at:
www.myofascialrelease.com/home
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