Day 1

Introduction – a low-key start on a gray day in front of 550 delegates. Due to illness the first speaker didn’t make it. The session opened with 1 ½ hours of research which was followed by the same amount of clinical method.

Morning research session

• Paul Standley presenting on repetitive motion, strain and MFR showed a slide with four research studies in support of sports massage efficacy. These were mostly new ones and we should add to our scientific support database with these (when I can find them).
• Helene Langevin talked about the properties of loose connective tissue (areolar), whereby the fibroblasts become ‘pancake-like’ under stretch in order to help layers above and below to glide. After injury this layer shrinks and this may indeed become the actual site of ‘adhesion’.

Morning clinical session

• Chaitow, Schleip; glitterati et al
• Great presentation by Stephanie Prendergast on pelvic floor pain. She’s based in San Fran and is a PT practicing CTM (Connective Tissue Massage). Will try to connect with her myself. This method is cutaneous and sub-cutaneous only. She combines with Trigger Point, nerve entrapment release etc. and I have some good references from her as well. Our man Jan Dommerholt knows her well.
• Bove DC presented HVLA, Comeaux DO harmonic oscillations quoted the phrase ‘pain is a liar’, Chaitow demoed some olde worlde Positional Release videos, Schleip showed a video of Ida Rolf at work and talked about shear forces and adhesions forming more around neurovascular bundles.

Afternoon clinical session – the massage highlight being;

• Thomas Findlay – one of massage’s best friends. He is on a mission to help us write better (some) research studies.
  • His presentation had a classic list of things that make a therapy session work;
    • believe in it yourself;
    • make the client also believe in it;
    • make it sound technically complex;
    • get some kind of physiological change to occur;
    • include at least two different modalities;
    • don’t disregard placebo. It works. Love it.
• There were other presenters too…

Afternoon research session

• Many and various 15 minute sessions with gems like FCU the strongest forearm muscle leading to contraction, as in CP; 20% of hamstring stains show nothing on MRI – leading us believe it must be something else. Why not fascia? Most of the strain is detected down the lateral line – fascia terra firma; After repeated low load lumbar flexion/extension the ligamentous/muscular systems have a lag phase where they are inhibited. Hmmmm.