Customer Reviews

Deep Tissue Massage and Myofascial Release: A Video Guide to Techniques [VHS]

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a licensed massage therapist and I purchased Art Rigg's "Deep Tissue Massage" manual about a year ago and loved it, but really needed to see what was being explained in the book. I had very high hopes for the DVD's and was not disappointed, rather the opposite, they exceed my expectations. Mr. Rigg's is an enjoyable instructure to watch, as well as extremely skilled and knowledgeable. It is apparent his goal is to help massage therapists become well-informed and successful practitioners. Cultivating touch, anatomy review, biomechanics, and working with injuries - together with hours of excellent demonstrations of applied techniques, you can't go wrong with this set. These videos move at a very comfortable pace, each building upon the next. The DVD format is ideal for easy reference. I couldn't be happier with my purchase and highly recommend this set to recent graduates of massage therapy programs as well as long-time practicing massage therapists.

I can't imagine any serious massage practitioner that would not benefit greatly from this series.  It is absolutely full of not only specific techniques to expand my skills, but also demonstrates the subtleties of touch and theory that actually qualitatively change the way that I work.  I've been a therapist for over ten years, and my regular clients immediately noticed the improvement in my work-not just some new strokes but a whole new way of working.  For 11 hours of serious instruction that I will review many times, I think this is some of the best money I've ever invested on bodywork education

Do not hesitate to purchase this video/DVD set! It is well worth the money and I find myself referring back to it again and again. The instruction is easy to follow and professionally produced with good camera angles and good sound quality. Best of all, the material presented is thorough and extremely useful. After viewing (and re-viewing) the set, I felt as though I had spent days attending in-person training sessions with the added benefit of being able to go back and review at any time. Art has an excellent teaching style and it is obvious that he has a passion for his work which comes through in the videos. I had to think twice about making the investment, but I'm sure glad I did!

I am a certified massage practitioner for Swedish/Esalen Massage. But I have always been interested in deep tissue massage. I first purchased Art Riggs' Deep Tissue Massage manual, and was thoroughly enthralled with it's excellence. So I eagerly awaited his release of the videos. For certain, the book pales in comparison to the videos. For half the amount of money I would have spent on an advanced deep tissue class, I now have his videos that I can watch innumerable times. Seeing Art doing the bodywork "live"is like having a never-ending massage course that I can attend over and over, in the convenience of my own studio. Art Riggs' instruction and demonstration is of the highest quality. He is extremely enjoyable to watch and listen to. The close-up camera shots make it very easy to see even subtle moves. I highly recommend these videos for those like myself who are new to the massage business, all the way up to those who have been in the business for decades like Art. I have received totally enthusiastic responses from my clients for the moves I have been putting into practice. Although I do not own a DVD player, these videos are also available in that format, which makes it very easy to follow the manual that is included to find exactly the part of the body you wish to view.

These DVDs have taken years off my learning curve as a therapist. With 11 hours of information, there is a lot to be learned and I am amazed (and sometimes kicking myself) at the 'new' information I pick up on when reviewing these disks. Slow movements through the strokes, clear camera angles, excellent commentary by Art (including announcements of when he is sacrificing his own posture and body mechanics to allow for a better camera angle), well-drawn anatomy slides and a clear menu on each disk so you can jump to the section that you want to hear all make this a great investment in yourself as a bodyworker.
I'd also like to make one comment on customer service. I have an older DVD player and one of the later disks in the series initially did not load up properly. By the time I got to this later disk I had passed my usual 30 day grace period - I thought for sure I would have to pay for the replacement. Instead, after contacting the author I received a letter of explanation and a replacement disk on my doorstep within two or three days at no charge. The replacement disk works perfectly. Thanks Art!

Art Riggs' "Deep Tissue Massage" is hands-down the best continuing education product we have yet invested in. We find ourselves incorporating Mr. Riggs' techniques into almost every session we perform. For 'real world use' the applications make sense even for those clients for which focused, regional work is not required or indicated. And for those who suffer from a chronic musculo-skeletal condition or are recovering from recent trauma or corrective surgery, it is indispensible.

Certainly a well presented and premier technical DVD series on an approach to deep tissue massage and myofascial release. Well formatted and presented. Good on technique and for both patient and therapist positioning. Should be considered as part of any clinical library. Myofascial massage and release is often of underestimated value in patient's plan of care. The DVDs aim at demonstration of technique and do so in a comprehensive and clear manner. The series is not intended to present current scientific evidence.

Research has suggested a role for massage in patient care especially when combined with exercise and education (eg massage chronic low back pain - Cochrane - reference - Furlan AD, Brosseau L, Imamura M, Irvin E, Massage for low back pain, Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;(2):CD001929. Further recent evidence suggests that muscle nociceptors have a strong influence on central nervous system function, sensory, motor and autonomic. The role of massage and myofascial release needs further investigation to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of such treatments in patients with chronic and sub-acute pain syndromes especially in relation to myofascial pain syndromes from trigger points.

Further interest in fascia is now evident. Fascia is a relative newcomer to the neuro-muscular-orthopaedic concept. Often misunderstood and ignored, fascia has an important role in structure, function and movement etc. Travell discussed the role of fascia in referred pain in 1952 in the paper "Pain mechanisms in connective tissues" (see reference: Travell JG, Office Hours day and Night, 1969, chapter 14, page 257, The world Publishing Company. The first world Fascia Research Congress will commence in Harvard, Boston in October 2007 and will bring together researchers and clinicians of many disciplines to integrate the current research on fascia in form and function. Massage and myofascial therapies should aim to influence the research direction and be involved from the outset.

These DVDs will ensure the clinician has a comprehensive review of massage and myofascial release techniques and the potential role it can play as part of a rounded and multimodal plan of care. I would recommend Travell and Simons, Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manuals as a reading companion and scientific reference coupled with Muscle pain by Mense and Simons (2002). In summary I would highly recommend these DVDs, without reservation for technical application of massage and myofascial release to therapists of all disciplines.

Johnson McEvoy

BSc., MSc, MISCP, MCSP, PT

Chartered Physiotherapist

Limerick, Ireland

I highly recommend Art Riggs book and DVD/Video program. It is a valuable resource for the health care professional who utilizes manual therapies. Art is a natural teacher who has generously shared his broad knowledge and skills. He covers the basics all the way through to advanced techniques. Thanks Art!!

Exceptional. I highly recommend both the book and DVD set to all massage therapists, especially those who are convinced they know all the tricks of the trades. I appreciate the emphasis on techniques for using good body mechanics that prevent fatigue and injury to the M.T.

Art really does relay the information in a basic easy to understand style. I find myself reviewing often to keep my "fresh" as their are so many different techniques that it helps to review to give your clients a "different" aspect of massage. I do ALOT of deep tissue work, and without these tapes I would be having to put forth a lot more effort. My only downside is sometimes in can be monotone due to no real reflection in his voice, but still these tapes are worth their money!