Understanding the motor points of the neuromuscular system and their corollary—tonic acupressure points—increases efficiency in helping clients relax and deepen into a sense of calmness and well-being. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast, Kristin and Darren speak with Mary Kathleen Rose about the difference between motor points and tonic points, how deep a motor point is, what a point should feel like for both the practitioner and client, and why proper communication to the client during a session is important.

Mary Kathleen Rose, LMT, has been actively involved in the holistic health field since the 1970s. A pioneer in the field of touch therapies for the elderly and the ill, she is an ardent advocate for the needs of special populations. She is the developer of Comfort Touch and internationally known for her work in bringing safe, appropriate, and effective touch to hospice, hospital, and home-care settings.

Rose is the author of Comfort Touch: Nurturing Acupressure for the Elderly, the Ill and Anyone in Need of a Caring Touch (Wild Rose, 2020); Comfort Touch of the Hands & Feet: A Guide for Family Caregivers (Wild Rose, 2015), and producer of the videos Comfort Touch: Massage for the Elderly & the Ill (Wild Rose, 2004) and Bereavement: Dealing with Grief & Loss (Wild Rose, 2022).

Resources:

Contact Mary: rosevine@comforttouch.com

Website: comforttouch.com

Hosts:

Darren Buford is senior director of communications and editor-in-chief for ABMP. He is editor of Massage & Bodywork magazine and has worked for ABMP for 22 years, and been involved in journalism at the association, trade, and consumer levels for 24 years. He has served as board member and president of the Western Publishing Association, as well as board member for Association Media & Publishing. Contact him at editor@abmp.com.

Kristin Coverly, LMT is a massage therapist, educator, and the director of professional education at ABMP. She loves creating continuing education courses, events, and resources to support massage therapists and bodyworkers as they enhance their lives and practices. Contact her at ce@abmp.com.

Sponsors:

Anatomy Trains: www.anatomytrains.com 

Precision Neuromuscular Therapy: www.pnmt.org

Anatomy Trains is a global leader in online anatomy education and also provides in-classroom certification programs for structural integration in the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, Japan, and China, as well as fresh-tissue cadaver dissection labs and weekend courses. The work of Anatomy Trains originated with founder Tom Myers, who mapped the human body into 13 myofascial meridians in his original book, currently in its fourth edition and translated into 12 languages. The principles of Anatomy Trains are used by osteopaths, physical therapists, bodyworkers, massage therapists, personal trainers, yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonics, and other body-minded manual therapists and movement professionals. Anatomy Trains inspires these practitioners to work with holistic anatomy in treating system-wide patterns to provide improved client outcomes in terms of structure and function.    

Website: anatomytrains.com    

Email: info@anatomytrains.com          

Facebook: facebook.com/AnatomyTrains 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/anatomytrainsofficial

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2g6TOEFrX4b-CigknssKHA  

Therapists who are drawn to Precision Neuromuscular Therapy are problem-solvers who want to learn new approaches, but also understand the “why” behind the “what”. This desire resonates with our emphasis on the problem-solving process, rather than the teaching of a singular technique or approach. Led by founder Douglas Nelson, each PNMT instructor is a busy clinician with decades of practical experience.

We have taught hundreds of hands-on live seminars for more than twenty years, emphasizing precise palpation and assessment skills. PNMT online courses are another rich source of discovery and deeper understanding. Also available is a video resource library (PNMT Portal) with hundreds of videos of treatment, assessment, pathology, and practice pearls.

Learn more at www.pnmt.org

Ep 307 – The Significance of Motor Points with Mary Kathleen Rose

The ABMP Podcast | Speaking With the Massage & Bodywork Profession