Massage Therapy Journal Summer 2024

Summer 2024 • 59

• Highlight positive outcomes : Share any positive outcomes or improvements achieved during the massage sessions and acknowledge the client’s commitment to their self-care and wellness as a driving force in this decision. • Express your professional concerns : Communicate your concerns about the severity or the persistence of their symptoms. causing alarm, but be sure to emphasize the importance of addressing the root cause. • Discuss scope of practice : Start by explaining a massage therapist’s scope of practice, and let your client know that addressing certain issues (structural, neurological, psychological etc.) may require a more specialized approach beyond a massage therapist’s expertise. • Recommendation for consultation : Be prepared to provide information about the professionals you are referring them to, including their qualifications and specialties. Position the referral as part of a collaborative effort to ensure the client Make sure to use neutral language and a kind and compassionate tone to avoid

receives the most effective and comprehensive care and highlight how different health care professionals can work together to address muscular, structural, behavioral and psychological components. Respect the client’s autonomy in making decisions about their health care and reassure them that the referral is a proactive step to optimize their well-being. • Follow up : It is also wise to follow up with the client after their consultation to inquire about their experience and progress, and continue to support them in their wellness journey, even if it involves having fewer massage sessions or taking a break from them altogether while other parts of their medical care is sorted out. Remember that the decision to refer a client should be made in consultation with the client, considering their preferences, lifestyle, comfort level and their approach to their own health care in mind. Open communication and a client-centered approach are key in ensuring the best possible care for individuals dealing with TNS.

CONTINUE THIS COURSE! This introduction to the basics of tech neck syndrome and how massage therapists can help clients manage the condition is the first half of AMTA’s continuing education course “Massage Therapy and Stretching Techniques for Tech Neck Syndrome.” Continue reading online, where you’ll get in-depth information on the massage techniques you can use with clients who may be dealing with the symptoms of tech neck syndrome. Visit amtamassage.org/learn to purchase the course and take the final exam to earn CE credits.

GET CREDIT Go to amtamassage.org/ learn , where you can purchase the course “Massage Therapy and Stretching Techniques for Tech Neck Syndrome.” and take the final exam to earn CE credits or scan here to get started.

References 1. Fiebert I, Kistner F, Gissendanner C, DaSilva C. Text neck: An adverse postural phenomenon. Work. 2021;69(4):1261-1270. doi: 10.3233/WOR 213547. PMID: 34366308. Retrieved February 2024 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ 34366308/ 2. Shin, D. W., Shin, J. I., Koyanagi, A., Jacob, L., Smith, L., Lee, H., Chang, Y., & Song, T. J. (2022). Global, regional, and national neck pain burden in the general population, 1990-2019: An analysis of the global burden of disease study 2019. Frontiers in neurology , 13, 955367. Retrieved February

2024 from https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.955367/full 3. Barrett, J. M., McKinnon, C., & Callaghan, J. P. (2020). Cervical spine joint loading with neck flexion. Ergonomics , 63(1), 101-108. Retrieved February 2024 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31594480/ 4. Westbrook, A., Ghosh, A., van den Bosch, R., Määttä, J. I., Hofmans, L., & Cools, R. (2021). Striatal dopamine synthesis capacity reflects smartphone social activity. iScience , 24 (5), 102497. Retrieved February 2024 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ 34113831/

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