Massage Therapy Journal Winter 2025

72 • Massage Therapy Journal

and precise soft-tissue therapy that can speed the process of recovery dramatically. “Overall, the main benefits of PNMT are pain relief, increased mobility, and reduction in pain and dysfunction in clients, allowing them to get back to doing what they love to do,” Lashley says. What Should a Client Expect During a PNMT Session? Although there are similarities to traditional massage sessions, like doing a thorough intake and getting feedback during a session, PNMT depends on clients being active participants in helping massage therapists pinpoint the issue, and that can feel different for some people. The assessment process may be more in-depth, too. Before a session, range of motion is measured, and a series of movements and orthopedic tests investigate what structures may be the source of their pain. The client’s role in the process does not end when the massage session begins because their feedback continues to play an important role in the direction the session takes. “During the treatment, clients will be actively engaged as the therapist works on the suspected tissues found in the testing,” Lashley says. “Client feedback is crucial in helping us know the exact problem areas.” Nelson also remarks on the importance of the client’s role in a session, “I often tell clients, ‘I know what I feel in my hands but I do not know what you experience. I need your feedback.’” Reassessing a problem during the session is also important. If a client presents with restricted range of motion, clients need to recreate the motion throughout the session to see if progress is being made. “Doing this solely at the end of the session

makes no sense, especially if the results are less than impressive,” Nelson says. “If what I am doing isn’t working, I want to know as soon as possible so I can change strategies.” When considering if PNMT is right for them, clients should remember the work is specific and focused on their presenting symptom or symptoms. For example, if a client comes to the session saying they have neck discomfort with limited rotation, the entirety of the session will be geared toward achieving the goal of greater range with less pain. Every therapeutic action should have a clear “why” behind the “what” and be directed toward achieving the client’s desired outcome. According to Nelson, it is important to remember that specificity and duration are inversely related, however. “The more focused the work, the shorter the duration of the sessions,” he says. “Over the years, we have found that for many conditions, shorter sessions done more often are far more effective than longer sessions done infrequently.” In many ways, PNMT is a mindset: A targeted, creative way of exploring the many problems massage therapists are faced with on a daily basis to find the best solutions for their clients. “PNMT is a great approach to manual therapy to truly understand the complexities of soft tissue pain,” Lashley says. “Its approach is aimed to give you the skills and confidence to create a wonderful, fulfilling and successful practice.” As Nelson explains, PNMT is born from decades of clinical experience. This clinical experience finds massage therapists facing the challenges presented by clients’ muscular problems every day. These challenges, however, also present a great learning opportunity for the massage therapists—if they know how to properly approach the problem. “We hope to provide therapists with an array of assessment and treatment approaches from which to draw upon. In this way, we help them build their competence and confidence as they transition from technician to clinical artistry,” says Nelson. “Real confidence isn’t knowing the answer, it is knowing how to approach the problem.” It is this exact idea that PNMT attempts to instill in the massage therapists who practice it.

The client's role in the process does not end when the massage begins because their feedback continues to play an important role in the direction the session takes.

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