Pseudoscientific treatment methods rely on a variety of tricks to demonstrate their supposed effectiveness. Since their actual therapeutic effect does not exceed placebo, they desperately need some kind of “evidence” they can present to patients. One of the simplest techniques can be conditionally called “treating a suddenly discovered disease.” During an examination, the practitioner “detects” … Read more
The book J. Walaski Clinical Massage Therapy is one of the more serious works on massage therapy, presenting a clinical approach to treating musculoskeletal conditions. In theory, it should be a desk reference for any massage therapist who aims to bring a clinical perspective into their practice. The book is not written in the simplest … Read more
Many massage therapists treat the theory they learned in college as gospel — unquestionable, final, and beyond doubt. That’s not quite the case. Many principles of modern massage theory are debatable, and some don’t hold up to scrutiny at all. Take trigger points. There’s an enormous body of material on their diagnosis and treatment, where … Read more
A massage therapist should always keep in mind the possibility of several independent conditions occurring in the same area of the body. To make this clearer, let’s look at an example. A client comes to your clinic complaining of pain in the upper right part of the back. During the routine examination (for example, using … Read more
Massage therapists often see the same clients as doctors, with the exact same complaints. Because of the limited scope of their training, it is much more difficult for Registered Massage Therapists to understand the underlying pathology — they simply lack the necessary conceptual tools. Nevertheless, it is very useful to at least determine the general … Read more
In conversations with colleagues, I often encounter a surprising misunderstanding of the placebo effect. Not simply a lack of familiarity with the term, but a misunderstanding of the very essence of this phenomenon. At first glance, the concept seems simple. However, the placebo effect is often misunderstood even by medical professionals, and this misunderstanding can … Read more
Choosing a Clinic You can find a massage therapist at a large clinic or a small private studio. Large clinics are pricier, nicer-looking, and often more conveniently located. Private studios are simpler, more affordable, and more flexible. At big clinics, therapists carry a heavier workload, and getting a specific person can be tricky — the … Read more
This list focuses on instrument-assisted methods of soft tissue treatment. What unites them is pseudoscience: the claimed mechanism of action or declared effect lacks sufficient evidence. One clarification upfront: this is not a discussion of the absolute effectiveness of these methods. The question is framed differently — how much more effective is any given method … Read more
Why Using the Term “Fascia” Without Specification Is Incorrect Every time a massage guru, whether in a video, at a seminar, or in an educational article, uses the word “fascia” in a general sense, without a clarifying definition, it is a reason to be cautious. From the standpoint of anatomical nomenclature and proper professional language, … Read more
For novice massage therapists, navigating the modern landscape of therapeutic methods can be a daunting task. Limited foundational training often makes it difficult to distinguish evidence-based approaches from speculation and pseudoscience. This lack of clarity is actively exploited by unethical practitioners and self-proclaimed educators who promote simplistic explanations, guaranteed outcomes, and so-called “easy solutions.” To … Read more
