Digging Deep into my Profession.

I've been a member of the American Massage Therapy Association for over 10 years, but it's only in these last couple months that I took the leap from Member to Volunteer.  As a result I've learned quite a bit about the underpinnings of my profession and organization. It's exciting and daunting at the same time.

This year’s AMTA National Convention in Pittsburg was an amazing experience for me as new board member for the MN Chapter.  It was there that I got to meet Massage Therapists from all walks of life living across the country.  It was invigorating to hear ideas about where our profession is going and how we can be a part of making it happen. 

The convention included two particular classes that I found very inspiring and helped me feel a sense of confidence in my massage practice.  

1. Talking to Your Clients about Skin Cancer  taught by Dr. Amanda Friedrichs a board certified dermatologist. 
2. Special Populations: Working with The Medically Fragile taught by Susan Salvo

Both of these classes addressed questions that we ourselves have, or get asked every day when working with our clients. How often does a client ask “Does this spot look weird to you?” or “My mother is 73 and in a wheelchair, can she get a massage?”  

Dr. Friedrichs helped us recognize when a spot does look ‘weird’ by teaching us the ABCDE’s of moles for skin cancer, but she also emphasized our role as a massage therapist. Although we are the eyes that often see these spots first, or primary duty is reporting and referring. Report to the client what you have SEEN, not what you think it may be because that is out of our scope of practice, and then REFER to a Board Certified Dermatologist. Having that knowledge of what to do, really helps my confidence when asked with that question by clients. 

Susan Salvo’s class was an motivating look at the ways that we can bring massage therapy to different populations who may have been told they couldn’t receive massage. She also had a CEU “Power Up” when she invited educator Brent Jackson to briefly speak about Massage in a Hospital Setting. Talk about a great 2 for 1 special! If anyone wants to work with Cancer patients, hospice patients, or any type of special population, learning the modifications need to bring the therapeutic touch of massage to them is uplifting to my sense of purpose in my career.

One of the things I love about the AMTA is the opportunities to learn and network in one place. State and National Conventions allow us to step out of our treatment rooms and socialize with like minded people and find out the answers to our questions, inspire ourselves or others, and reinvigorate our careers. I hope to see you there next year; together we are AMTA!